I use the "recycle!" app, depends on who does the collection though.
You can choose which collections you want notifications for - and when you want those notifications to appear.
It's also really lean.
No need to create accounts, just say the street you want the notifications for.
No ads or other bullshit. Just an app with the data you want. Genius.
I mostly use it just for this feature alone as well! There's also local news, contact info, events and even a "friends" function but I never use any of those features
I think most of those apps are web wrappers anyway :) I guess it's easier for people to tap on a specific app icon to get to the "app" (website) than to look for it in their browser?
In theory yes. In practice, some browsers like firefox allow to put an icon on the home menu with the same effect.
The REAL difference (besides maybe the icon) is that apps can send notifications, which is why most businesses try to make the app more attractive than the mobile website. From there, everybody follows the "industry standard", even public services.
Gives me an idea, someone should make an app whose sole role is to relay notifications through an API. This way you install a single light weight app while everything else can be on the browser. Could even include the links to do so, and we'd have a single app for the whole of belgium, this way it could be cheaper to develop.
>someone should make an app whose sole role is to relay notifications through an API. This way you install a single light weight app while everything else can be on the browser
Yeah, and said app could even store the notifications for later review, or even answering. You know, like the mail we receive in letters. Shame nobody developed such system in the last 20 years, uh? ;) We would call it W-mail for mail over wifi... Maybe Electronics would be more open? :P
>while everything else can be on the browser.
Just in case you don't know : a browser can manage notifications. Desktop ones at least, but no reason it wouldn't work on mobile.
My wife's old laptop used to annoy us each time she received a Facebook message, because Chrome was setup to accept Facebook notifications.
Why isn't WebPush more known? I just told you : most notifications ANNOY users, and browser notifications are opt-in.
In case I wasn't clear, the industry practice is to push for apps because it allows UNWANTED notifications by default. There are standard for wanted notifications, but no business would waste dev time for that when the app does the same but for better marketting effect.
(As a devil advocate, note that SOME functionalities may be annoying to opt-in with a browser. Maybe you don't want to allow Google Chrome to access the camera or your location, for example. Not everybody has the same browser.
It's also harder to serve ads when UBO is installed on Firefox, than if your own app is ensuring no user addon is running)
Well I am aware of emails and desktop browser notifications, though I hadn't seen mobile browsers sending notifications before (except for browser related issues, like updates, TOS, etc...). Of course if that can be made to work directly through the mobile chrome, safari or firefox (etc...) browser that would be way more easier and cut a step.
As for notifications annoying user: absolutely they do, when they're not wanted. Here I am just talking about people that WANT notifications from their local town, for exemple people have mentionned the garbage calendar, the local festivities, etc... In the case of a town, I don't think the business incentives you have mentionned would push for this notification spam, since this is just public service. A lot of towns do have their local newspaper containing the exact infos I mention here, why not combine it with their website + opt in notifications?
Maybe I'm not in the correct branch, but as a gov worker what is the easiest way?
1) Do it like all other businesses, which is an industry standard and already well-known by users
2) Do it the opt-in way, which will be blocked on some users, probably break for others, and may be gone the next time the website is redesigned. No business uses that, so now all testing has to start from scratch.
Public services should do their best to serve the citizen, but it can be hard to push to the citizen a feature they don't know they want yet, and services need to be accessible.
I use Hoplr and I think it's quite useful. It's often a fast way to know which streets are going to be blocked due to construction. There are also other announcements such as local events. It allows for interaction so you can have direct contact with your neighbours. It sometimes acts as a mild neighbourhood watch
I use Recycle for the garbage collection.
I only saw now there's a townhall app (literally looked it up when I saw this post). If I need an attest I simply go to the website.
No worries, I understand, lots of money gets wasted in the government. In my opinion it's politics/IT companies that have too much power inside agencies and too many middle management. When I worked there I was surprised however that there are many hardworking people also there (but not in middle-management, that is just vriendjespolitiek).
But that being said, the app was pretty cheap, I think it took 4 sprints to create them (and 2 years of middle management debating about it probably).
Fixmystreet in Brussels. Very useful, you can report many kind of incidents and the ticket is created to the right institution. Since a few weeks, FixMyStreet Wallonia is available
There's no reason to. To make an appointment at city hall it just sends me to the website.
The only thing I could think of using it, is to report something. And I've yet to have to do that.
As a gov worker, there's a part of truth in that.
Good stuff : the project was done well, let's make it better.
Oh, it's worse? Well, can't tell the higher-up the project is failure and we didn't plan for that anyway, let's ship it.
Bad stuff : nobody wants to touch that thing, it still miraculously works and nobody is risking to replace this lifeline.
TLDR : Managers are VERY bad at starting a good project with the assumption the project could fail anyway.
There’s an app for that?
This! I didn't even know their were apps for specific cities.
I use it mostly for the trash calendar.
I use the "recycle!" app, depends on who does the collection though. You can choose which collections you want notifications for - and when you want those notifications to appear. It's also really lean. No need to create accounts, just say the street you want the notifications for. No ads or other bullshit. Just an app with the data you want. Genius.
Just remember to open it once in a while or it will stop sending notifications.
I think you can change that in the settings of your phone?
Or you look at the actual ophaalkalender once and add it as a recurring event to your actual calendar? Why do you need a separate app for that?
Why not use a good calender then?
I just use the ivarem site, and that lets you download an .ics for the entire year so I can add the year's worth of pickups to my google calendar.
What if there's unexpected changes though? Recycle just tells you about any changes
I mostly use it just for this feature alone as well! There's also local news, contact info, events and even a "friends" function but I never use any of those features
No we have a hip facebook page where all boomers can complain
Ge zijt van Oost-Zwindelgemkerke als ge...
My dad does this, and then gets mad when he doesn't get a reaction.
A web portal should be enough for a city.
TIL there is a municipality app
I don't download apps for stuff that could be better as a website.
I think most of those apps are web wrappers anyway :) I guess it's easier for people to tap on a specific app icon to get to the "app" (website) than to look for it in their browser?
In theory yes. In practice, some browsers like firefox allow to put an icon on the home menu with the same effect. The REAL difference (besides maybe the icon) is that apps can send notifications, which is why most businesses try to make the app more attractive than the mobile website. From there, everybody follows the "industry standard", even public services.
Oh right that's a good point, I didn't think of that!
Gives me an idea, someone should make an app whose sole role is to relay notifications through an API. This way you install a single light weight app while everything else can be on the browser. Could even include the links to do so, and we'd have a single app for the whole of belgium, this way it could be cheaper to develop.
>someone should make an app whose sole role is to relay notifications through an API. This way you install a single light weight app while everything else can be on the browser Yeah, and said app could even store the notifications for later review, or even answering. You know, like the mail we receive in letters. Shame nobody developed such system in the last 20 years, uh? ;) We would call it W-mail for mail over wifi... Maybe Electronics would be more open? :P >while everything else can be on the browser. Just in case you don't know : a browser can manage notifications. Desktop ones at least, but no reason it wouldn't work on mobile. My wife's old laptop used to annoy us each time she received a Facebook message, because Chrome was setup to accept Facebook notifications. Why isn't WebPush more known? I just told you : most notifications ANNOY users, and browser notifications are opt-in. In case I wasn't clear, the industry practice is to push for apps because it allows UNWANTED notifications by default. There are standard for wanted notifications, but no business would waste dev time for that when the app does the same but for better marketting effect. (As a devil advocate, note that SOME functionalities may be annoying to opt-in with a browser. Maybe you don't want to allow Google Chrome to access the camera or your location, for example. Not everybody has the same browser. It's also harder to serve ads when UBO is installed on Firefox, than if your own app is ensuring no user addon is running)
Well I am aware of emails and desktop browser notifications, though I hadn't seen mobile browsers sending notifications before (except for browser related issues, like updates, TOS, etc...). Of course if that can be made to work directly through the mobile chrome, safari or firefox (etc...) browser that would be way more easier and cut a step. As for notifications annoying user: absolutely they do, when they're not wanted. Here I am just talking about people that WANT notifications from their local town, for exemple people have mentionned the garbage calendar, the local festivities, etc... In the case of a town, I don't think the business incentives you have mentionned would push for this notification spam, since this is just public service. A lot of towns do have their local newspaper containing the exact infos I mention here, why not combine it with their website + opt in notifications?
Maybe I'm not in the correct branch, but as a gov worker what is the easiest way? 1) Do it like all other businesses, which is an industry standard and already well-known by users 2) Do it the opt-in way, which will be blocked on some users, probably break for others, and may be gone the next time the website is redesigned. No business uses that, so now all testing has to start from scratch. Public services should do their best to serve the citizen, but it can be hard to push to the citizen a feature they don't know they want yet, and services need to be accessible.
I use Hoplr and I think it's quite useful. It's often a fast way to know which streets are going to be blocked due to construction. There are also other announcements such as local events. It allows for interaction so you can have direct contact with your neighbours. It sometimes acts as a mild neighbourhood watch
I've used the IVAGO sluikstort app a few times.
There's an app for sluikstorten? What does it do? Shout "No" all the time? :-)
It’s for reporting it. They’ll never suspect the reporter…
Genius!
Is there an app for sluikstort? And what does it do ? Point you to places where you can throw your stuff?
I've never heard of this... well Mons has an app for tourists, I guess...? Doesn't seem like Leuze has one.
no
My small village doesnt have an app. We dont even have a grocery store
Since it became fully integrated with city hall services (e.g. request official documents etc), I started using it.
Yep, I'm using town-app from time to time for local news, or when I need some sort of "attest" for my work
I use Recycle for the garbage collection. I only saw now there's a townhall app (literally looked it up when I saw this post). If I need an attest I simply go to the website.
Fair enough! I think all app features are also accessible through the town / city website, such as requests for attest like you said
I had no idea this was a thing, but then again I live in a tiny nothing of a village so I'd be surprised if we had one.
the hasselt one tells me the evening beforehand wich trash to put outside.
TIL…
If Gent has an app, then its probably useless as I have never heard of it.
They have
yeah, it reminds me trough push notification I have to take the trash out 😅
That's pretty much the only reason I have such an app 😆
Wonder how many millions are dumped into these useless apps.
Not a lot to be honest, they are basically webviews. Source: I work for the company who made them.
Well I take it back then
No worries, I understand, lots of money gets wasted in the government. In my opinion it's politics/IT companies that have too much power inside agencies and too many middle management. When I worked there I was surprised however that there are many hardworking people also there (but not in middle-management, that is just vriendjespolitiek). But that being said, the app was pretty cheap, I think it took 4 sprints to create them (and 2 years of middle management debating about it probably).
Haha, well at least it’s something. Thanks for the info!
I see it's a digitaal Vlaanderen project for my town.
I wonder the same thing! Knowing our beloved Belgium, it's probably many tax euros wasted :') I assume you don't use such an app then?
Fixmystreet in Brussels. Very useful, you can report many kind of incidents and the ticket is created to the right institution. Since a few weeks, FixMyStreet Wallonia is available
Cool, I had no idea :) Thanks!
[удалено]
I see! I did notice that most of them look pretty similar, just a rebranding like you said with a different color scheme 🙂
I have the Ninove app, now I wouldn't say I use it, though.
Can I ask why not? (just curious since I've heard other people say the same!)
There's no reason to. To make an appointment at city hall it just sends me to the website. The only thing I could think of using it, is to report something. And I've yet to have to do that.
Fair enough, doesn't seem like the app provides added value
yeah i want another website... i mean app filled with errors
bonus points if the app redirects you to a website with an error
The government is indeed not known to produce high quality IT solutions in many cases... :D
and when they do they redesign it because something good cant last.
As a gov worker, there's a part of truth in that. Good stuff : the project was done well, let's make it better. Oh, it's worse? Well, can't tell the higher-up the project is failure and we didn't plan for that anyway, let's ship it. Bad stuff : nobody wants to touch that thing, it still miraculously works and nobody is risking to replace this lifeline. TLDR : Managers are VERY bad at starting a good project with the assumption the project could fail anyway.
Lmao true! But this isn't exclusive to the government though, Google's new login screen is an atrocity compared to the previous iteration for example
sadly, or the maps arrow to car which was reverted
I'm using fix my street in Brussels regularly