Fixing AppWorld...

Often, I have to remind myself that I have to tell my kid of all the fantastic things he does since my nature is to focus on the things that need attention.

BlackBerry's AppWorld has many issues, as outlined in many posts here. I have three which prevent me from finding what I want, resulting in frustration and the sense of not returning:
1) the search filters and user-interface are poor;
2) the categories are foolish;
3) the indexing and search engine is unpredictable.

The biggest issue is the schema for AppWorld. RIM please hire a librarian, a Records Manager or anyone in Informatics, and fire/reassign the folks you already have. In short, place apps is categories of their primary functions with tags to those and ancillary functions, not for what we use them. So a screwdriver is stored under "Tools" and not "Watch Repair" or "Construction."

Use tags which will provide for a filter system to the user. Developers can select functional tags and tags for vertical areas of use. So a notepad application is tagged as an Editor-Text primarily (not Productivity, silly), or a source code editor as Editor-Text as well as Programming. Why is there a "Business" category? Are apps used for business any different from those for non-business users? No and not particularly -- an editor I use at home is the same I use at the office. The difference rests with how it is used, clearly not a function of AppWorld.

The indexer is absolute crap or configured improperly. If you search for a term, you may get 11 results. You browse to one, then return to the search results that now has 14 items. You browse to another and return and now it is now 10 items. How can anyone have any confidence in any such system? This is utterly ridiculous.

RIM needs competition in app delivery and install to be better.

There may be an Appworld overhaul in 2.0 launch...Have to wait and see :)

The categories are selected by the developer when submitting the app. Adding an audit to ensure that an app is appropriately categorized would add extra time to the approval process and wouldn't necessarily guarantee any better placement of apps into 'appropriate' categories.

The app testers are primarily concerned with compatibility with the OS and general best practices. Additionally, to push the responsibility of categorizing apps to the testers would require the testers to have full knowledge of all of the apps submitted.

The assumption is that the developer knows the app better than the tester so the developer is more appropriate for setting the category. Additionally, it's in the developer's best interest to assign an appropriate category to ensure that the app will be found.

As far as App World, itself, is concerned, I believe that work can definitely be done on the search.

Here are more issues/potential for improvement in AppWorld:

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...ements-691591/

.

Let's wait for AppWorld under 2.0 ...

Originally Posted by louzer

The categories are selected by the developer when submitting the app. Adding an audit to ensure that an app is appropriately categorized would add extra time to the approval process and wouldn't necessarily guarantee any better placement of apps into 'appropriate' categories.

And devs should not create structure. They should have the flexibility to choose where they best fit on that tree. Imagine McDonalds without a menu (from the perspective of the chef and the customers are the devs). I would modify your comment to say that the developers (as with any business) are concerned first with making money, and creating the environment that users can readily access their apps is paramount for them. RIM should create a better (functional) structure and have devs choose 1-3 areas for placement, and maybe 0-3 more as just tags. Therefore, up to 3 for browsing by the user and up to 6 for tags filter. Nonetheless, my primary concern is with the structure.

Originally Posted by louzer

The app testers are primarily concerned with compatibility with the OS and general best practices. Additionally, to push the responsibility of categorizing apps to the testers would require the testers to have full knowledge of all of the apps submitted.

?huh? Testing and validation is under the auspices of the development process, but what does that have to do with AppWorld, a delivery and install management vehicle.

Originally Posted by louzer

The assumption is that the developer knows the app better than the tester so the developer is more appropriate for setting the category. Additionally, it's in the developer's best interest to assign an appropriate category to ensure that the app will be found.

Granted, but it reflects poorly on RIM - AppWorld is their branding. And, we can't have a different hierachy for each developer. Imagine each vendor at your local mega supermarket choosing where their products are placed. One puts ketchup in condiments beside the mustard, and another put it beside the frozen French-fries. If what you suggest is what RIM does, RIM should fire themselves for being incompetent or lazy. Again, hire/follow folks who store things for a living (librarians, records managers) or folks who access (and store) things data for a living (information scientists).

The bottomline is that frustrated users gravitate to where they are frustrated less, or have to be fooled into believing crap is good. This is an easy fix and should be part of an organic, constantly-perfected system, and ought not wait to be sync'ed with any OS release. My preteen child can organize better (kudos!). I have created better schemas. I have used better systems. RIM's AppWorld needs to be better, period. If you don't have the talent or the resources to create a better wheel, simply copy the top performer - schemas are not copyrightable or patent worthy.

Enough already - are you not tired too.

Bla1ze already tweeted that PB 2.0 will have an overhaul, Which I am happy to hear.