Malene
Lost but trying
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Reg: Jan 09, 2016
Belen, NM
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01/10/16 10:36 AM (8 years ago)

How Would I?

Ok, so, I have several things planned that my apps should be able to do. Looking through the plugins I see some of it listed, but not all of it. Pretty much all my apps ideas rely on information from the end user, which means they need to be able to input it and have it shown. For instance several of my apps would rely on input information from users, in an diary form. I am thinking I can work some of that functionality in cooperation with wordpress as I have made several blogs over the years. Is there an easy way to work an app together with wordpress? Another example of an app I am thinking of "find an lost pet". I want an app that should be adopted by shelters and vets across the country. When someone loses an pet they should be able to put the location of the last place the pet was seen on an map, with an small picture and description. Then local shelters, rescues and vets can check when / if they get in an unknown pet. Private people who find an pet should also be able to check if someone has entered this pet. This does not currently exist. So, I would need an map based app where users can enter information - it would be great with push notifications to vets, shelters and rescues when an pet is lost nearby their zip code. I would want this to be advertising monetization. Would I have to pay for someone to make the plugins for this? Or, would I be able to use something within buzztouch?
 
Dusko
Veteran developer
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01/10/16 02:34 PM (8 years ago)
You should be able to go at least 50% of the way with free Buzztouch plugins. Everybody has to read web pages in their apps, call phones, send emails, have menus... and that is what basic / free plugins will get you, with ease. For your pet finder app (would that be a name for it!?) you would have to either learn programming or hire someone to do it for you. It really depends on your level of expertise, at this moment. Pet owners and vets need to talk to each other, through a server, with the appropriate database in it. Which in turn means coding or programming. The good thing about hiring a programmer is that things tend to roll quickly once they start working for you; the bad thing about it is that you have to pay them in advance, or at least half now and half later. I am a professional programmer who specializes in Buzztouch coding, and that's how it works. Before you start hiring anyone, you need to have a project of what will the app look like. It boils down a series of screens -- draw them, create them so that you and the potential programmer can have something to talk about. In general, you are in a right place. BT lets you churn out app after app, albeit in a somewhat old-fashioned manner. However, if you want total creativity, you can have that with BT just as well, as you will have source code and all the signing procedures under your belt.
 
Malene
Lost but trying
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01/13/16 04:27 PM (8 years ago)
Hey Dusko, Yeah, I find myself in an familiar conundrum. I live on approximately 1/3 of what official poverty levels are - and as such am just grateful when the heat is on and I got food on the table. I have tons of creativity, ideas and ability to draw it up, along with an rock solid knowledge of computers, computing structures etc etc, but zero programming training. I am more than willing to share all income from my crazy idea sprees - but most people dont want to invest in it - well, maybe I shouldnt be so fast to say that, because that seems to be changing...but anyways... So, do I try to find an way to invest in my own ideas, do (almost) all the work myself, and pray like hell one of my ideas is good enough to pay for creation of the others? Well, that is what I am trying to do. It always sits poorly when people claim - just go pay for xyz, but that is the capitalist society I so enjoy railing against. I think - I will try to make my "cats of the world" app with buzztouch, it isnt an fancy app with an need for weird programming. If I can do that one on my own without purchasing several of the expensive plugins, then I know buzztouch is an solid way to go.
 
sarahk
Code is Art
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Reg: Jul 16, 2014
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01/13/16 07:37 PM (8 years ago)
Have you checked out Pedigree's app called "Found"? Except, that when a couple of months ago I helped with a found dog, the app didn't even cross my mind. That's a big problem, ensuring that your app is front of mind enough that when the rare event of finding a lost dog happens that you check the app, and when your dog gets out you remember to log it. I suspect you'll need to be really active on social media to reinforce the brand. Oh, and funny story that happened today... A young woman we know spotted what she thought was our dog trotting down her road. She messaged my daughter who is in a different city at the moment, my daughter messaged me. I called our dog who was in the next room so I messaged a friend with a similar dog and lives on that particular road. She goes to check her dog just as he sauntered into the house looking all sweet and innocent.
 
Malene
Lost but trying
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Posts: 14
Reg: Jan 09, 2016
Belen, NM
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01/13/16 08:32 PM (8 years ago)
Hey Sarah, thanks for your feedback. I found one app dedicated to bring lost dogs home (not sure if its the one you referred to). The app i saw was only for dogs and was based on some type of face recognition software. Yes, indeed that app would have trouble with wide enough adoption. My app is based on the professionals - vets and shelters adopting it. There is no need for face recognition, and all pets will be covered. I would need to advertise the app heavily, but specifically to vets / shelters. Once those entities adopt the app they will bring the word out to end users. It is not that difficult to reach such a specific group! As i myself have volunteered in rescue - those doing that work make use of all known tools!
 
Dusko
Veteran developer
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01/14/16 12:18 AM (8 years ago)
>It always sits poorly when people claim - just go pay for xyz And it always sits poorly when people disregard good advice. Here's the thing: you have one month free BT membership. If you want to see whether BT is for you or not, then you better devote as much of your time to studying it -- right? It doesn't matter if you spend days and weeks discovering basic things, why not, it's a free ride (for a month), you are having fun and so on. Or, you act up wisely, buy a course for $10, spend one afternoon listening and watching, you learn exactly what needs to be done, nothing more, nothing less, and next day you know all you need to know to start an app, finish an app, and publish an app, in your case, on Google Play. If you want to make money making apps, one way to do it is to choose a popular niche, publish an Android app with AdMob ads in it and leave on the Play Store. After a couple of months you will start getting payout each month, and you did it only once, Google does all the rest (provided the niche is chosen well enough). You can do it all with Buzztouch for free... or can you? You can study things for weeks until you learn to put ads into an app, OR, you can buy a plugin for $10 that already has all the code in itself and the only thing you need to do is to put your AdMob ad code into it. Oops, sorry! Seems I did that capitalistic thing again -- just told you to invest $10 now to get hundreds in return during the year... won't happen again!
 
sarahk
Code is Art
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Reg: Jul 16, 2014
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01/14/16 08:22 PM (8 years ago)
>My app is based on the professionals - vets and shelters adopting it. There is no need for face recognition, and all pets will be covered. Aren't you still relying on the owner to either log their missing pet or to look to see if it's found? Your shelters must be awesome, btw. Ours advertise on facebook but they expect you to phone if you lose your pet. They certainly wouldn't promote a third party app and it took years to drag them into social media.
 
Malene
Lost but trying
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Posts: 14
Reg: Jan 09, 2016
Belen, NM
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01/14/16 08:36 PM (8 years ago)
Hey Sarah, when an pet has been lost 12-24 hours pet owners usually start to call local shelters and vets. If the professionals have adopted the app they are quite likely to say "you know, we use this app, it works". I have worked in cat rescue for 15 years with an variety of shelters, organizations and private situations. I have tamed feral cats and worked extensively with hybrid cats. There are many thousands private shelters and losely organized rescue groups across the US, and they usually use the Internet and social media extensively to network, find homes, find qualified foster care, and find original owners. Its possible that county shelters are an little slower to adopt technology - but they are quickly catching up! The heavy lift on advertising this app would be to reach the professionals - once they start to adopt it will be an lot easier. I really do appreciate your feedback and reality testing though!
 
Malene
Lost but trying
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Posts: 14
Reg: Jan 09, 2016
Belen, NM
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01/14/16 08:39 PM (8 years ago)
Also, many shelters, including county shelters, work really hard to find original owners. Microchip scans, postings on craigslist, and news paper ads are not unusual to try and get an lost pet home.
 
Malene
Lost but trying
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Posts: 14
Reg: Jan 09, 2016
Belen, NM
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01/14/16 08:48 PM (8 years ago)
Dusko, i am sorry, i find your tone very offensive! At the moment my household income is $50 an week. For that i have to cover utilities, food, transportation, clothes and other incidentals. I essentially spend a out $5 an day on food. Thankfully i am an good cook. So, when you suggest i spend $10 frivolously on something i am,still unsure of - which 2 days should i not eat this week? Maybe you are someone who feel money makes might and you have the right to be condescending - given i have less than you. I will remember the attitude! Truth is, i am not completely sold on buzztouch - i think their lack of how-to's puts them in an category of company i find suspect. I also dont like an "nickel and dime" mentality from an company. I am giving it an strong try, at the end of the month i will either set an budget for this - or move on. Until then - yeah, if the company cant make basic how-to's available for free, then chances are they lose me before i become an customer - and others like me. Maybe we are not the type of customer they actually want
 

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