Thoughts on web version of raven reader?

[mrgodhani]

Hi

I am thinking on working on web version of raven reader. I need help on getting your opinions if this is something that would be useful.

Here are some of the benefits:

• Synchronized feeds/articles across all devices including mobile (If app is made PWA)
• Helps ability to enhance data storage, parsing of articles etc
• More innovative features could be added.

Downside, till now raven reader was open without any user login. In this route it would need to have user login/pass in desktop app.

Let me know your thoughts and opinions in this thread thank you.

[sanawu]

Well, I found Raven because I was leaving web readers (google news is just a glorified feed aggregator too), I like my data local, under MY control, best of luck

Came to Raven because FeedReader is abandonware, but, works better than Raven by far

Then there's always good old Thunderbird should any of these readers fail to deliver

Currently on FeedReader because Raven is not even 1.0 quality for a free version nevermind a paid for PRO version

Cant import OPML successfully (that is exported from Feedly) UI is terrible (can't even resize or do basic things)

I would suggest getting what you have working and working well, then using that to showcase whatever other projects monitisation plans you have, we just have to look at Raven and go nope, not gona pay a penny for any of this nevermind hand over data and control

If you plan to close it off, I would hope FeedReader or Raven reader will get a fork or let it disappear

When we choose abandonware (feedreader) over your app, that should send you warning signs

When we're leaving Feedly for a local reader, that should send you warning signs

If I want to sync, I can use file sharing export and import or a shared file and I can do it safely with encrypted file systems over the cloud or LAN

I can see you're itching in your pants to make money on this, well, NOT A PENNY for this rubbish, I think you're jumping the gun a little too soon, consider putting up a donation page, perhaps bounties for features

If this Raven reader is a showcase for your quality, frankly I am not letting you near my data with a bargepole

[amirsol81]

@sanawu Sorry but why is your tone so harsh? The developer, who is IMO doing a great job on the accessibility side and does listen to our suggestions, has put forward a suggestion. Accepting or rejecting his line of thought can be done more elegantly IMO.

[amirsol81]

@mrgodhani To be honest with you, I'd rather have a local RSS reader -- even a paid one -- with a better parser for text extraction, and with features like opening/accessing multiple articles, altering the refresh rate separately per feed, etc. Quite surprisingly, all of these are features which many RSS readers for iOS and Mac provide and many of them are also accessible. So I wonder why these can't be done for Windows or why no one has done it yet. As for web-based RSS readers, I've tried many of them, but almost all of them have mild to serious issues. So even on iOS, I use Lire which supports local feeds as well as many syncing services.

[sanawu]

@sanawu Sorry but why is your tone so harsh? The developer, who is IMO doing a great job on the accessibility side and does listen to our suggestions, has put forward a suggestion. Accepting or rejecting his line of thought can be done more elegantly IMO.

When there's a plan to monetise it and wants to online OUR data via a login wall, oh boy slapping him with a GDPR violation will cost him more from what I see from the quality of this

How about ZERO ACCESS ENCRYPTION to protect our data from him? (meaning only WE hold the storage keys and he cannot access the data, but we know he will want to play with that data for profit or pass it on)

It is better I am to the point now rather than wait until it's too late later and something bad happens involving our credentials and data

This is NOT a 1.0 application in its current state, even the unfinished unpolished FeedReader abandoned is more quality than this imo

Now put this quality into the context of your personal credientials and perhaps payment details and your feed data and usage data, oh boy

Harsh yes, but it will be harsher if you mess up something like personal data breaches

How are you going to compete with Feedly and others? You will want to offer something involving data manipulation ooh look "AI"

Then ask yourself, why would people pay you money for that?

People pay Protonmail for one reason, so they keep their mitts off the data via ZERO ACCESS ENCRYPTION amongst others

What's the market for RSS feeds? Nowdays it's "smart feeds" that means data manipualtion, YOUR DATA, YOUR PATTERNS

[mrgodhani]

Sounds clear no web. @sanawu thanks for your critical opinion. I have 1 question why even try Raven if Feed Reader beats it?

[sanawu]

Hoped it would be better; I was proven wrong in it's current state and worrying plans to put me online, which is why I am moving back to a local reader, I made the mistake of using an online feeder service when stupid me, no need for that, it's my data local is perfectly fine, and with tech's data history proven to be damaging, I am now in the process of reducing dependence on online stuff that is quite capable to be done locally

Go ahead monetise it, put it on line, I won't be going back online for storing my feed aggregation

Also why I mentioned ZERO ACCESS ENCRYPTION but that's not going to work for data manipulation and smart feed features that people would pay for, it's just not my cuppa tea, probably for others, probably enough in it to make a living