Mobile first discussion and questions regarding the software update from 23-06-17

mtudor

I have to agree with the sentiment here - completely removing the ability to access Homey via a web browser is a mistake imho, and removes one of the key pros to Homey over other smart home products.  I'd be perfectly happy to see the Homey Desktop App disappear and even for Chrome (or one of the others) to be the only supported browser, but I can't see a future in which creating complex logic (flows) on a small screen, with a fat finger and an on-screen keyboard, is going to be an improvement.  Sure, focus 90% of your energy on the mobile app if you like, but don't kill off the web app, even if it means the features there stay fairly static.  I keep thinking back to Logitech Squeezebox and their drive to "simplify the product for the masses" by essentially removing the central server, one of it's key differentiators.  They lost the power users, entered a much more competitive space and the product died, commercially speaking at least.  I'm not necessarily saying that this is what will happen but care is certainly needed.

The more choice we have, the higher the likelihood of keeping everyone happy... but in the spirit of alternatives, some suggestions:

1. Why not contemplate maintaining a smaller subset of the web interface?  Ask the community what they care about doing in a web browser (for me, flows and insights) and what they are happy to do from a phone (for me, add and control devices, change homey settings).  Keep hold of the other stuff so it can be re implemented when resources are more plentiful.

2. Why not turn the code for the web interface over to the community for parts that will not be maintained, that way we don't have to start from scratch?

3. Perhaps try to overlap Athom maintenance of the web interface with the creation of third party tools rather than leaving us with a dead space in which there are no ways to perform complex tasks other than through the mobile interface.

MantaAuto

necropost removed