Joe & all,
Yes, very much true that user comments are not the same as a support forum.
Still, very often users express their wishes for application features
and/or tweaks. Such comments are directed not only at the app author,
but also at other users. This has a community feel, which I think is
very important to the one posting a comment - "Look people, this app has
this shortcoming and it was me! who discovered it".
User comments also form a rating system, and this is where negative
comments are also important (not to take anything away from positive ones).
Some comments are plain wrong, caused by misunderstanding in how the app
works, or misunderstanding the limitations of technologies used in a
particular app. Imagine a comment for a video player: "Doesn't play
1080p AVCHD. Piece of junk. Uninstalled." or a comment for a Wifi toggle
widget "Loses connectivity if I get in the car and drive 10 miles away".
These are exaggerations, yet they convey the idea.
Given all this, I think it's obvious that developers need to be able to
publicly respond to comments just to clear misconceptions about the app.
Just like users are able to post wrong comments in a public venue.
Another good cause for responding is when people post comments about
encountering a bug and there is no way to reach the user. I think there
is no doubt this would help improve applications.
Providing contact email doesn't really work.
It seems that users prefer to deal with one application - Android Market
app - and one app only for all third party apps. This is where they
search for apps, this is where they read other people's comments, this
is where they leave their own comments. Developer responses would fit
right in.
-- Kostya
01.07.2010 22:41, joebowbeer пишет:
The user comment are is not the same as a support forum, and I
wouldn't want to do anything that will make users hesitant to comment.
The vitality of the market depends on it.
Isn't there already a way for users to initiate two-way communication
with the developers? By way of the app's support email address?
That said, I wish the comments were tagged with the user agent or some
other way to tell what device and platform was used. If they have SMS
problems, I'd want to know if they're using a Droid (Issue 5669), if
they have problems finding their photos, I'd want to know if they're
using an Incredible (/emmc), etc. This information would also help
other users who are deciding whether to install the app on their
handset.
Joe
On Jun 29, 11:35 pm, "Maps.Huge.Info (Maps API Guru)"
<[email protected]> wrote:
I just noticed a new link in the developer console for comments!
When clicked, it shows the comments the users have posted. No way to
answer them but at least you can see them outside the device.
Thanks Android people! Great to see this.
-John Coryat
--
Kostya Vasilev -- WiFi Manager + pretty widget -- http://kmansoft.wordpress.com
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