Any one want to make a Ss forum app

[JPG]

How about calling it what it is.


A set of program instructions.

[twistsol]

It would be great to have an app that would allow us to read and post to Shopsmith forum.
Hate having to use Safari and then going to favorites then to Shopsmith forum.

You can add a link to the home screen of your iPhone which I assume you have base on the Safari reference.

Go to the SS Forum Site in Safari
Click on the Share button at the bottom of the screen (Square with an up arrow)
Click on Add to Home Screen.
Edit the name and click add

The forum will then appear as an icon like any other app on your phone.

It doesn't solve the formatting issues on a phone but saves having to dig through bookmarks.

Also, if the admins here are willing to spend about half an hour installing Tapatalk and publishing the site, their app is actually really good for browsing forums.

[reubenjames]

FWIW, I read and post the forum quite often from my Note 4 using Opera. Just sayin'

Nobody is saying you can't read and post to the forum using your phone's or tablet's browser. I do, too, because that's the only option available to me on the phone right now.

I'm not sure I need or want another app on my phone. I use a S5 Samsung phone to read and write and post pictures so it can be done, how much less effort would an app be?

Again, you wouldn't have to use the app--you could continue using your browser. An app is just made for fat fingers and small screens, so reading is generally easier as things are formatted with properly sized (and adjustable) fonts right off the bat and you don't have to do so much pinch-zooming or horizontal scrolling.

Also, we would need two apps, one for Apple stuff and one for android, right?

Again, what I am proposing is not a proprietary ShopSmith forum app, but the ability to plug an existing app into the forum (like Tapatalk). An app like Tapatalk would:

1. Not be new to some people. I already use Tapatalk to connect into other forums
2. Already have existing versions for Android and iOS

As I mentioned before, the back end for this forum is not proprietary--nobody at Shopsmith whipped this thing up. It's an open source (free) platform, that has been "skinned" the way Shopsmith wanted it to look. But you can change that skin, even. For example, I don't like the way Shopsmith had it, so I went back to a more generic skin, and this is how my forum pages look now:

SSForum.png (125.56 KiB) Viewed 3530 times

So, again, with Tapatalk, you can have multiple different forums setup with your app, and you tap on the forum you want to enter into, and you can easily browse through topics:

tap1.PNG (150 KiB) Viewed 3530 times

It has a clean interface for replying in topics:

tap2.jpg (26.06 KiB) Viewed 3530 times

And you can set the app to give you alerts, like other apps, so I can always have those pesky red circles with how many posts I'm missing out on showing on my iPhone.

tap3.PNG (45.54 KiB) Viewed 3530 times

The iPad versions and the versions for Android tablets also make even better use of the available real estate.

Again, all Shopsmith would have to do is install the Tapatalk package on their server and anybody who wanted to connect to the forums with Tapatalk would be able to do so.

Hope this helps clarify some things.

[lilgodwin]

I made a similar thread about 2 months ago.

If it's to be done, there's a simple solution... Tapatalk. I didn't see it mentioned when I scanned, so I'll mention it here.

Tapatalk is an all-in-one forum app that allows you to stay logged in/connected to ALL of your desired forums at once. I currently use it to stay connected to a Law Enforcement, Kawasaki motorcycles, and Siberian Husky forum.

Adding Tapatalk abilities wouldn't change (I don't believe) anything about this site for all the desktop users (or even cell phone Safari/Internet users for that matter). But, what it will do is allow an easily accessible forum for those that WANT to use an app.

When I looked into it, it seemed extremely simple. And, from what I remember, it was very cheap, or even completely free. I do have a degree that encompasses programming, but in all honesty, I believe it's a simple 'copy/paste' procedure with clear instructions, so anyone can do it with relative ease.

[joedw00]

Why do you need a app? Just put a shortcut on you phone, like I have on my Android S5.

[lilgodwin]

Why do you need a app? Just put a shortcut on you phone, like I have on my Android S5.

As noted, a shortcut fixes part of the problem, as it does allow for quicker/easier access. But, regarding smartphones and their screen sizes and user interface, an app will alleviate the issues that are involved.

Tapatalk only acts as a portal to view/use the forum. Primarily, using it will organize and format the forum for easier reading, navigating, posting, etc. But, for those that don't/won't use it, nothing will change.

And as, I think, RubenJames said, it also allows you to be notified of new posts/replies of any threads or sections you choose to subscribe to.

[reubenjames]

Tapatalk. I didn't see it mentioned when I scanned, so I'll mention it here.

It was mentioned more than once on this thread, too. And I agree.

Why do you need a app? Just put a shortcut on you phone, like I have on my Android S5.

Because forum web pages like these weren't designed with the mobile-first thought pattern that is (or should be) standard now. It's not a matter of getting to the forum easily, it is a matter of reading and posting to the forum quickly and easily, without a lot of pinch zooming or horizontal scrolling or, for me, who wears reading glasses, just trying to squint and tough it out.

Why do I have a weather app on my phone when I can go to the weather channel website?
Why do I have a YouTube app on my phone when I can go to YouTube on my phone's web browser?
Why do I have the Kindle app when I can use the Kindle online reading functionality on the Amazon website?
Why do I have an eBay or Amazon app when I can use the website on my phone?
Google Maps app? Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive apps? Banking / Credit card apps?

I can do this all day long. There are precious few apps on your phone that couldn't be replaced by the infinitely more cumbersome and ugly process of using a website. The point of a mobile operating system with apps is so that you don't have to do that.

[rjent]

Well, all good points for sure. I would suggest contacting admin of the forum and ask. Us hashing it out here, really does no good other than defining the problem/solution. Admin is good people, He/She/They try to accommodate us ShopSmith'er (thank God). Who knows, maybe they are working on it as we speak ....

[dusty]

Most of this discussion and others regarding smart phones, etc are Greek to me. I have a cell phone but my grand kids laugh at me when I ask why my cell phone doesn't do the things that theirs does.

I use my cell phone for short conversations and some texting. It also has a camera but I think that is all. No apps. I guess I must be missing something.

[reubenjames]

No apps. I guess I must be missing something.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. My wife doesn't use a smart phone and she is early 30's. Everyone uses different tools to get the job done, just like in the shop. You want to pick the tool that you are most comfortable with, and usually that will give you the results you are looking for efficiently.

For me and my "digital workflow", apps like these help me waste a lot less time on the phone and waste more time in the shop, though that ratio is still way off.