Application Announcement Guidelines

[OFI]

For the Application Announcements Forum Application Announcements - Android Forums

Would it be possible to have a sticky with guidelines for devs?

This probably helps the devs more than the forum (although it does tidy the place up) but for me at least I find threads on there with minimal effort a huge turn off and just skip to the next one.

I have seen some threads where the title of the app has not been obvious as to its purpose and the thread contents has been along the lines of "Please take a look at our app and report any problems www.myappsite.com"
And that's it.

I propose the following minimal requirements:

*Thread titles with a category tag e.g.:


Yet Another Tower Defense [GAME]
Lost Again? [NAVIGATION]
Billy No Mates [SOCIAL NETWORKING


*A basic description of the application and its known hardware/software requirements

*At least one screenshot - A picture really does say a thousand words

*QR Codes - So simple to create and makes life much easier for those who want to try the app out.


I hope that all makes sense and that some others might agree

 

[Phases]

It does and I do. Will get on this Monday.

 

[Swizz]

 

[OFI]

 

[Phases]

Oops, did this a bit back and failed to sticky the thread, sorry!

 

[Roze]

Oops, did this a bit back and failed to sticky the thread, sorry!

oh Phases...

Sorry boss, I couldn't resist

 

[Mikestony]

Thread Revival!!

Question, why do you restrict the dev to one thread/dev?

I ask this because, when the dev has a new app, how is he supposed to announce it in his existing thread? No one will know it is a new app? They will just see the old thread title.

Just wondering

 

[EarlyMon]

Rules evolve to reflect Android development and our users best interests.

Let's start with an example.

We have one very popular game developer - been with us since the early days - who've posted here regularly and are popular with our members.

Three years ago, it was an announcement here, an announcement there.

Now, they're huge. And it's not uncommon for them to release a combination of 10 or more games and updates at once.

At one thread per app (game), they dominated the page.

They were more than happy, as good community members, to go to the one-thread model. Easier for them to find and update their apps, and better for them to show good citizenship here in their use of forum space.

We didn't make the rule for them - that's an example of the benefit though.

And with that, what's the basic deal with devs producing multiple apps?

Few make apps in wildly different categories. A dev producing a utility is likely to produce several utilities. A dev making dictionaries is likely to make several dictionaries.

So - apps grouped by developer-threads are: 1) topical and 2) efficient.

Efficient use of our pages, efficient checkout by our members for all apps by one dev.

The Market has exploded into the Play Store.

I can recall when we had less than 100k apps.

By the fall of last year it was 3/4 of a million apps.

Projections for mid-2013 put it at over 1 million.

With that 10-fold increase in volume and complexity came the need for us to look at a better way moving forward.

Hope that helps!

PS - The OP of any thread can change the thread title. Edit first post, tap Advanced button, change title.

 

[breadnatty08]

Sort of off topic, but would it make any sense to have threads in Announcements have an "expiration date" of sorts? This may help clean up the area, and am not sure we need announcements from 2-3 years ago.
Just my .02.

 

[EarlyMon]

That one is Phases call.

 

[h4x0rj3ff]

Sort of off topic, but would it make any sense to have threads in Announcements have an "expiration date" of sorts? This may help clean up the area, and am not sure we need announcements from 2-3 years ago.
Just my .02.

Maybe another sub forum names archived announcements or something to that nature

 

[EarlyMon]

Maybe another sub forum names archived announcements or something to that nature

Not sure what problem we're solving at this point.

 

[Phases]

Are there announcements or stickies of mine that need de-stickying?

PM me a list and I'll look.

 

[EarlyMon]

I don't see any, we've been keeping them up to date, will check.