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Currently the intended role of StackApps.com is not entirely clear.

Right now, it seems to be focused on shaking out the bugs in the API and providing a somewhat noisy area of app announcement, via the 'apps' tab, that to a non-technical user just looking for a cool app is likely to be intimidating to the point of being unusable.

If the 'apps' tab is intended to ultimately be an end-user resource for finding apps, it will have to be redesigned to be more app-store-ish and controlled by more than adding a tag.

But what I do not see a lot of is 'How can I do xxxx with the API?' and 'How to do xxxx?' with the API, basically an API app developer centric site with code snippet heavy content similar to Stack Overflow..

Here is the Area 51 proposal for such an API app developer site:

http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/10133/stackexchange-api-development?referrer=muNxqcUO5cppdZnri3IIJQ2

3 Answers 3

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I would not support this site. Rather, we should change stackapps and improve it to meet the intended role.

edit: hopefully with the latest changes to Stack Apps:

.. we've come a bit closer to this goal.

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  • So rather than being an end-user destination to browse for apps, stackapps would clearly be the place to hold technical discussions around usage of the API? Jun 27, 2010 at 21:01
  • Wait, wait, wait... so you want StackApps to be for browsing apps and not technical discussion or vice-versa? Jun 27, 2010 at 21:02
  • @code: Maybe you need to do the opposite: make a proposal for listing the apps and leave StackApps for the technical stuff. Jun 27, 2010 at 21:03
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    And jeff, the reason it came up is that there is no clearly apparent role for stackapps at this time. I realize that it was emplaced to service the development of the api, but with the addition of the 'apps' tab, things started getting fuzzy. @geo - i have mentioned in a few places that stackapps is not currently an end-user friendly location for 'shopping/browsing' for apps but have received no feedback. maybe this will generate some sort of meaningful dialog. Jun 27, 2010 at 21:08
  • @code: Let's hope so! Jun 27, 2010 at 21:35
  • @code: Don't know if you'll end up reading this... but I had the best idea yet! Why don't I start a site for people to list their apps on? I'm working on it right now. It's going to have OpenID support and everything! Jun 29, 2010 at 0:05
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    @George i like your idea but i prefer to see it included in StackApps site. Jun 29, 2010 at 13:02
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    @Jeff what do you want the intended role to be? developer questions, apps marketplace, or both? -1 for ambiguity. Jun 29, 2010 at 23:33
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    @sys, @antony: I just put something together: stacklist.quickmediasolutions.com Jun 30, 2010 at 2:03
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    good site George, except "StackList" doesn't really say this is a site with all the apps that use stackdata. Rather StackApps is a better name. The developer site should be called StackAPI.com and the stackapps.com (or stackstore.com or stackappstore.com) should be the location of the site you built.
    – Jonathan.
    Jul 3, 2010 at 19:32
  • @sky hopefully my update has helped alleviate these concerns.. Mar 3, 2011 at 11:03
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You know what, I couldn't agree more. Before StackApps even came about, I was promoting some of my apps here.

We need a place to list our apps that is:

  • easy to browse
  • well-organized
  • seperate from technical discussion of the API

Update: such a place now exists! Check it out, vote for some apps:

http://stacklist.quickmediasolutions.com/

3

I agree with you; StackApps is not end-user|developer friendly enough for apps browsing an promoting.
Apps are buried and mixed with technical discussions and it's really difficult for the newest apps to gain rep and visibility.
Here what I'd like to see:

  1. StackApp should be improved introducing a well organized stackapp-store section, splitting technical stuff from Apps.

  2. StackApp should be advertised: the first noob to the oldest guru should know the existence of StackApps. Imho StackApps is currently used by a small small niche of Meta aficionados users that is a small niche of the thousands users of just Stack Overflow.
    Add a Tools tab to the header, place a big banner, whatever you want. I think a small link on the footer and blog posts are just not enough.

  3. I would like to see every tools developed for Stack Overflow listed on StackApps and not just the ones developed with the official API; why a beauty like unicornify can't be a first class app? There are plenty of them on Meta.

EDIT:
Something is moving

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  • 2
    + I have had 2 competing concerns on this front: how to get exposure to the correct audience for apps that you develop AND where is it safe and appropriate to get down with the dirty implementation details and code samples. Those 2 do not mix and if you try nobody will be served. Jun 30, 2010 at 2:35
  • have a look at stacklist.quickmediasolutions.com Jun 30, 2010 at 7:07

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