Hey, howdy, hallo,
I have an announcement. Since the beginning, I’ve wanted to stay independent and avoid sponsorships, even when some offers were really tempting. Such as VPN companies offering seventy to eighty dollars PER referral. But I wanted to do things differently. I wanted something I could control, and something supported directly by the people who actually enjoy my work.
That’s why I finally decided to set up my own membership site. After thinking about it for a while, I’ve settled on an option I like and that I think will be beneficial to you based on the questions I’ve received over the years. I know everyone is asking for your money, but if you want to check it out, you can click here for a 20% early adopter discount on your first 3 months (discount link valid for the next 2 weeks).
There’s not much on there yet, but there will be more soon.
Here are the perks:
There’s no obligation at all, but if you do decide to sign up, I would be extremely grateful. And if you’re unable to, no worries. My newsletter, podcast, and videos aren’t going anywhere.
A few weeks ago I called a doctor’s office to make an appointment. The phone scheduling was straightforward: name, address, email, phone number. But every subsequent interaction (automated texts and emails) mentioned that I should “download their app.” I was reminded no fewer than four times that I needed to download their app before visiting their office.
The day of my appointment came and I still didn’t download the app. I walked into the office and like every other medical office I’ve been to in the United States, I wrote my name on a piece of paper, and they checked me in. That was it. Throughout the entire visit, no mobile app was ever needed. Not for check-in, not for payment, not for anything.
I hate apps. I don’t like new apps. I want as few as possible, and I want them to be ones I choose. Of course, I’m only speaking from the context of where I live, maybe there are some you do need where you reside. At the very least, question whether you really require it.
But there is another way: PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) and mobile websites. You’d be surprised how many sites are usable enough in your mobile browser. For a service I really don’t want to use, that’s the first thing I try. I load up the website in Vanadium and log in. Still using Facebook? Instagram? Gmail? Give the mobile website a try. The experience can be…lacking. But that can actually be a good thing! It’s much harder to make a mobile website extremely addicting compared to a full-blown native app.
Besides all that, the level of tracking a mobile website can perform is much lower than an app that requests a long list of permissions.
I realize I didn’t talk about PWAs much in the previous section, so here’s a bit more information. PWAs are apps without the app-installation part. They use modern web technologies (service workers, WebSockets, etc.) to deliver an app-like experience: full-screen responsive designs, push notifications, offline usage, and more. I use Miniflux as my RSS reader and it has a fantastic PWA. It also has the added benefit that the company doesn’t need to maintain a full-blown separate app, it’s all part of their website.
This is the great part: no app store required. Visit the website in your mobile browser and log in. Then, tap the three vertical dots in the top right and select Add to Home screen. This part technically works on every website, but not all websites are designed to function as PWAs.
I don’t know of a great way to tell (without already knowing) whether a site has a PWA, but once you open it you can usually tell if it’s simply opening the mobile site or launching a full-featured Progressive Web App. If you know how to tell more reliably, feel free to reply to this email and let me know.
I hope you had a great November, and I’ll see you in December!
-Josh
I’ve always been fascinated by deceptive designs, and this site does a great job covering them.
Motherboard • Storage
Private Space Explained • Security Preview Releases
A few things I make and work on:
Membership Site — Bonus content, monthly live Q&A, and more.
Consulting — Personalized help for individuals and teams.
Yellowball — Podcast hosting. No BS, no tracking.
"We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions."
— Stephen M.R. Covey
I don’t track or analyze these emails, so the only way I know they’re read is if you tell me. If you enjoyed it, reply with a ❄️. If not, send back one sentence with what you’d improve.