
Webmaker for Android - robin_reala
https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2015/08/17/mozilla-webmaker-meet-the-world-2/
======
davidascher
Hey all --

David Ascher here, from Mozilla.

Thanks for the interest. We'll put up a technical write-up of Webmaker soon,
we've been busy getting the app ready.

As to some of the questions already asked:

This is an open source project (both the Android wrapper, the web app and the
backends powering the APIs). Repos are here:

* [https://github.com/mozilla/webmaker-android](https://github.com/mozilla/webmaker-android)

* [https://github.com/mozilla/webmaker-core](https://github.com/mozilla/webmaker-core)

* [https://github.com/mozilla/api.webmaker.org](https://github.com/mozilla/api.webmaker.org)

When it comes to data privacy, remember that Webmaker is not a social network.
It is an easy-to-use publishing platform for people whose only internet access
may be from a low-end Android phone. We don't ask for or store real names to
create user accounts.

All projects on the platform are publicly accessible/remixable under a CC-
license (it's a free, no-ad app -- all we ask from our users is that they
contribute to the commons). We currently store all user data on Amazon RDS.

You may be interested in some of the user research we did as part of this
project as well:

* [http://mzl.la/india](http://mzl.la/india)

* [http://mzl.la/bangladesh](http://mzl.la/bangladesh)

* [http://mzl.la/kenya](http://mzl.la/kenya)

* [http://mzl.la/research](http://mzl.la/research)

~~~
doublerebel
I totally get it. This is why I am building Optik. Knowledge publishing should
be as easy as posting to Twitter or Instagram. My personal concern is privacy
and longevity. How do we ensure that information users rely on remains secure,
and also accessible? That is why I believe the Web as designed is a poor
interface for this data. We need a better way to navigate and trust the data.

I applaud your efforts and look forward to collaboration. As the internet
grows and interfaces become more complex, it becomes harder to avoid creating
multiple tiers or classes of knowledge/data access.

Very curious to see how Webmaker will approach spammers vs anonymity and
security vs collaboration.

------
corysama
This article does suffer from assuming the reader already knows what WebMaker
does.

From
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.we...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.webmaker)

> Mozilla Webmaker transforms Web users into Web makers. You can build
> original content like scrapbooks, photo galleries, memes, comic strips and
> more. The app's unique and flexible design makes telling your story simple
> and intuitive. Webmaker is free, open-source and independent.

So, it's a mobile app that makes it easy for non-specialist consumers to
create web content using only their mobile devices.

~~~
flanbiscuit
That was still vague to me so I downloaded the app and I tried it out.

Heavy emphasis on the non-specialist. So you have these cards that you can add
text, buttons linking to another card, or an image to. You can add a card
adjacent (up,dowm,left,right) to the card you're on and keep growing in any
direction. The buttons can link to any card.

It reminds of a program I use on an old Macintosh back in the early early 90's
where you would create a "page" and "buttons" that would link to other pages
(HyperCard?), but much more basic.

You share your creation and it sends a link hosted on webmaker.org.

Here's a test:
[https://beta.webmaker.org/#/project?user=461534&project=8976](https://beta.webmaker.org/#/project?user=461534&project=8976)

------
donpark
Mozilla should've put videos up front. Here are some I found:

[https://vimeo.com/127446372](https://vimeo.com/127446372)

[https://vimeo.com/128600026](https://vimeo.com/128600026)

First question everyone will ask is "What about hosting?" As best as I can
tell Mozilla hosts the content at a subdomain of makes.org.

~~~
davidascher
Correct. (note: I believe none of our users have asked that ;-), but I
appreciate that HN cares about that.

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fluidcruft
Can someone explain where the hell the content is stored? I'm tired of chasing
vapid text that explains nothing. Why can't you take 10 min before blasting
the PR to setup something that explains anything at all? I mean, seriously:

[https://webmaker.org/](https://webmaker.org/)

The "Privacy" link is generic and also doesn't explain anything.

How in hell do you think you can launch a social service without answering any
of these questions in this day and age? Have you learned nothing from the
Hello rollout?

~~~
hardwaresofton
Maybe this could be helpful:

[https://github.com/mozilla/webmaker-
android](https://github.com/mozilla/webmaker-android)

[EDIT] - Had the wrong link up before, was to the repo for the _website_

------
techwizrd
I think a quick 30 second or 2 minute video would go a long way towards
clarifying the point of this app. I'm a big fan of Mozilla, but the
communication here seems unclear. As far as I can tell, this app allows you to
create a small hyperlinked mobile app/"site" with picture and text content to
share with friends.

------
vzhang
I downloaded the app, signed up and played with it. This is from the welcome
email - "Welcome to Mozilla Webmaker! Thank you for joining us to discover,
create and share the Web. I'm looking forward to seeing what you create."

Still not sure what it does. :-(

~~~
gcb0
digital scrapbooking.

i think the only big difference from all the other scrapbooking apps, is that
this one is open source, polished, and promoted with minorities to the point
of being obnoxious.

------
tajen
It lets you design a sub-app, screen by screen. On each screen, you can put
text, picture, button/links. Link destination must be within the sub-app.

Every time Mozilla gets a product out, I hope it's a privacy-aware social
network, with no full-name or single-account policy, with little
centralization, which doesn't require installing MongoDB (Disapora I'm looking
at you), where I could share some pics. I'll have to wait for the next round
;)

~~~
davidascher
Hi there. David Ascher here, from Mozilla.

* No Real Names requirement. * I think we have a single account per email address, but I don't think that's what you mean. Also, you can likely use +whatever on your email addresses if you really want to.

As to centralization -- I'm as worried about centralization of the net as
Brewster Kahle, but that's as yet an unsolved problem, and not the one we're
tackling with Webmaker. We're (just?) trying to make an app that makes it easy
for people new to the internet to see that they can create web content, not
just consume it, even if all they have is a low-end android phone and low
literacy. The app storage architecture is centralized today, but I'd be happy
to explore ways to federate it, once we get to the point where it we've
confirmed the app is attractive to its main audience.

TLDR: Sorry, this isn't the droid you're looking for =)

~~~
StavrosK
Why don't you even use Persona on your own sites? :(

------
publicfig
The description of this product sounds like it was created from a buzzword
startup generator, to the point that I assumed it was a parody or satire until
I read the comments here. It would really benefit the article to just include
a plain text description on what the app is and what it does.

------
nkg
I can't explain why but I like this, and I've been checking the timeline a few
times today.

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unicornporn
This might be freaking awesome, but I just don't quite understand what it
does, even after installing.

I guess it creates web content (ie. a web page), judging from its name (and
coming from Mozilla). But how can I find these web pages? What's the URL?

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solidpy
After trying it a bit, this could be very useful for quickly prototyping
mobile application workflow.

------
fgtx
Good to know that I'm not the only one that have no idea what is the problem
solved by this.

------
krisgenre
I don't seem to understand, is this a blogging platform? Any video that
explains this?

~~~
lizzard
It's to help people whose main or only access to the web is (smart)phones to
learn how to make web sites. There is a Webmaker program for desktop browser
users already. A combination of tools, documentation, and curriculum as I
understand it.

------
solidpy
So is this Web Content the app helps people create accessible from a browser?

------
pratikch
Good read! Now, we have the focus somewhere shifting towards localization of
portable devices and having them available to mass audience.

