Forum/Thread App

[steve_mcqueen]

Alright, bear with me here guys. I've only just gotten my Android phone yesterday, and I have no idea about the technical skills or limitations involved with writing an Android App. But I've come up with a cool idea for a Forum App that will allow for easier access to the forums that the user frequents.

Earlier this afternoon I was browsing a forum using the standard HTC Desire web-browser. It was a bit tricky, having to zoom in for the small buttons, zooming in and out to read different pieces of text, et cetera. It's do-able, but a little awkward.

How about an Android App that will allow the user to 'subscribe' to sections of a forum much like you would subscribe to feeds using a Newsreader App.

For example, I would like to subscribe to the General section of the forum I frequent. The App will allow me to do that, and show me each thread that is in that section much like a Newsreader App would display the various news-feeds.

So I will subscribe to the General section, and it will show me the first thread called "Rules & Regulations," the second thread called "Introduce Yourself," the third thread "Post a picture of yourself," et cetera.

Now if I hit the first thread, "Rules & Regulations," it will open that thread and display each post much like a Newsreader App would display each news-item from the different news-feeds. With the first line of text showing to give me an idea of what's inside the post.

I can browse all the posts, and if I find one I want to read I hit it. The App then opens the thread post much like it would open a news-item and display the contents inside that post (whether it's a picture of just plain text, or links, et cetera).

I can then decide to respond to that post specifically, the App quoting the content within and then allowing me to add my own content. Or I can back out, and create an entirely new post inside the thread.

Is this making some sense? It's about as far as I've got, brainstorming on it for a moment.

I have no idea if this is even remotely possible. But it seems like a pretty neat idea to browse forums on an Android hand-held device.