A Call to Software Developers
There have been a few people asking over the past few months about making an iPhone or Palm OS app, and getting it onto the App Store. I personally have only rudimentary programming knowledge, and not enough to make a quality app that would effectively fulfill the needs of the organizations/people who have asked about an app.
Are there any OSC readers out there who might be interested in some paid work? Writing apps might be a lucrative way to help out the Church, you know...
The kind of apps would be relatively simple; probably able to pull in a couple RSS feeds, submit a comment to a site or something, and play podcasts. I know there are some companies that make apps after you give them a spec sheet, but it'd be much better (imho) for a Catholic in need of some work to help a Catholic group (and vice-versa!).
[Edit: Here's a good resource for those wanting to develop an iPhone App: How to Create Your First iPhone Application]
Comments
If it comes down to $$$...how about we each pitch in on it? I've got a few clients that would love an iPhone app, but I don't have skillz there.
I'd think there'd be a way to build a base app that would be useful for all, then maybe we pay separately for our own customizations/skins.
Maybe we could get the developer who built iBreviary?
Not a bad idea... not bad at all. For Archdioceses, the functionality would probably be extremely similar.
Advancing the faith.
Out here in the sticks I cant get a iPhone(with decent reception), they only could offer me this http://imgs.idnes.cz/mob_prakticky/A030625_RUDI_KROLLOP_MOTOROLA-DYNATAC...
lol! I had one of those... as a toy :-P
Advancing the faith.
Sounds fun, except for the iPhone part :( iPhone apps are a pain in the neck to write unfortunately.
OUCH! Don't slap that to your head too fast...it's a brick!
Hey guys, I'd be keen to get involved with this - I have starting playing around with android apps - the google phone.
Hey. I'd be interested in getting my hands dirty with some iPhone/mobile development. I have actually come up with a couple of ideas for apps (a couple of card games) but have just begun the research in what it actually takes. I definitely would LOVE to get involved in designing and programming some iPhone apps.
Are you wanting to build an OSC iPhone app? Or just a general Catholic app that allows some interaction with different catholic online information? Or multiple apps?
I will be building an iPhone app for flockNote. So I may have enough knowledge to help after that!
However, perhaps simply a mobile version of the website would be more helpful and easier? With the majority of computing and data transfer for an app like this being done over the internet anyway, what advantage does an actual iPhone app give over just a mobile version of the site?
@MatthewWarner: Well, mostly it would be for different Archdioceses. If the Archdiocese of St. Louis wanted to have an app called Archstl, the app would have a few different panes: one for the latest news (synced by RSS), one for latest podcasts (with the ability to play right in the app), and one for latest photos (or something along those lines).
Advancing the faith.
A technical sidenote: I really think that web-based apps make a lot more sense in most situations. First of all, you don't have to re-write from the ground up for the iPhone, Palm, Android, Blackberry, etc... And second, do you really need a software application to just display information? Isn't that what the web is for? *shrugs*
http://blaise.ca/
I definitely agree with @balleyne. Perhaps perfecting the content should be priority, followed by better experience on various platforms.
True, true... perhaps we could start things off with a web app. However, having a nice little app for the iPhone and Palm (maybe) would be nice, because it's harder for someone to wrap his mind around making some sort of web bookmark-clipping thing through Safari for an 'app' on the iPhone than to download a quick app from the app store...
Advancing the faith.
I'll be available to do some Mac and iPhone app & web app development. And Windows, I suppose, if I'm asked nicely. ;-)
So let me throw another monkey wrench or two into the works. This is probably what you're getting at, but what about forming some permanent kind of guild, corporation, non-profit or other organization of Catholic developers offering our services to dioceses, parishes, religious orders, schools, and other Catholic organizations in creating web sites, web apps, apps for the various mobile platforms, even desktop apps where appropriate? They have content to get out there, we have the ability to get it out there in various forms.
It wouldn't necessarily be a money-making venture. There might be a lot of volunteer work done. Or iPhone (and other platform) apps sold at $0.99 (or whatever price) gets divvied up among everybody. Its probably not going to become anybody's full-time living, but it would be a way for us to do something for the Church on an ongoing basis through an ongoing organization with some marketing and PR behind it. And who knows, maybe we can find some way to make it economically sustainable in addition to helping the Church?
I've long thought of the monks of the dark ages and middle ages copying books and preserving previous ages' content for the future and wondered why there weren't or couldn't be religious orders today doing the same thing with today's technology? Maybe a lay organization is the way to go.
Or maybe I should just go to bed and get some rest now... :)
@pghcoder - lol, you should go to bed... but your idea is pretty good! I have been working as hard as I can to get higher-ups in the Church to understand the importance of technology and the web, and a lot of my words fall on deaf ears... maybe a lay initiative in this area could be helpful; faithful Catholics who use these technologies to *supplement* face-to-face, personal interaction and evangelization would be a great example!
Advancing the faith.
@pghcoder
Funny you should mention that...been thinking the same.
It's hard though to commit resources on a volunteer basis. Intentions are always good, but execution usually lacks.
IMO...if someone could pull together a 5-10 person web development team, focused on providing services to Catholic organizations at a reasonable rate...I think it's got a shot of being sustainable. The key is landing a few high-profile gigs and networking with the right National groups.
I'd be interested in helping out with that sort of effort, or at least interested in hearing more about it if someone was put together.
http://blaise.ca/
I've been in the field of Internet & mobile communications only for the last 6 years (since I was in college), and I've put up several iPhone apps (eg. Compendium to the CCC), as well as many other Java and Windows Mobile-based apps.
I'm interested to contribute technical help & pitch in if there's an initiative, though right now I don't have time to spearhead one.
@pghcoder This is a great idea. And I agree with catholicservant that it would take a couple big projects to sustain something. And I also agree with oscatholic that higher-ups are not listening. Maybe we would want to focus on marketing ourselves or just marketing technology and that Catholics are not Amish.... Make some YouTuble videos of the power of the web or something? Too bad we didn't have this discussion a few years ago, I know Catholic Answers was looking for alot of technology help.
@oscatholic I am a software developer with a dual focus on developing for *nix based systems and the iPhone. I have published several apps and have developed a couple of apps for clients. If a Catholic organizations would like an apps written, I would be willing to donate my time to either assist or take on projects.
@pghcoder If you hear of such a guild forming, I am willing to participate and support the group.
@syzdek - awesome! I'll keep that in mind; a couple other projects are holding up one app I have in mind, but I will be keeping an eye on this thread.
Advancing the faith.
Sounds like the time has come.
Most definitely; @JoaoMachado - would you like to make a posting about your proposal, and I'll stick it on the front page?
Advancing the faith.
Well, thank you Jeff I will…
I have been in contact with the Catholic Radio Association because I wanted to make CatholicTuner a tool for spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I did not however, want to be in opposition with the members of the Association because I know and understand that they have put much effort and money into terrestrial stations. Instead I firmly believe that CatholicTuner should be a way to drive people to them, to help them spread the content they have.
It would seem that in speaking with the President of Catholic Radio Association, they have indeed started to discuss this very thing of moving more towards different media outlets/types, web, hand held devices etc. And because they are in the planning/discussion stages they are looking for input. I have been asked to attend in order to possibly start the collaborative work of CatholicTuner.com and the Catholic Radio Association.
Here is the vision:
The main site is used by Catholic Content Providers to post links to their sites/content. This could be in the form of a Blog, Podcast, Streaming Video, Streaming Audio, News feeds etc.
Flash based player, a “tuner” if you will, that can play all of the audio and visual content right from within the tuner. It should be displayed in a popup window, so that it can be played in the background if someone is working on their laptop and or desktop computer. This will also allow most web enabled devices like the iPhone and Palm Pre to view the site rather quickly if Flash does not have to load everytime.
Mobile device apps would access the content directly from CatholicTuner, which should make development of the apps much faster when you already have the content ready to go.
Traffic generation to CatholicTuner must be developed with real content; let me explain. A few examples that I have is to create a section of the web site with detailed information of Catholic Shrines world wide. Complete with beautiful pictures detailed information etc. Catholic Artists page with the same concept but maybe some album preview files etc. A Catholic Bible online for reference, Apologetics pages, with various Catholic apologists either offering written responses or pre-recorded audio/video of their particular topic and always with links back to their website. The same could be done for books, and authors. The idea is to drive visitors to CatholicTuner.com but with real content that they are looking for.
The site MUST be completely free to both visitors and content providers. The providers must keep their content inline with the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
It is no accident that when I contacted CRA that it was at a moment when they are looking to start something like this. It is no accident that the day I spoke with them, I also found this site, that was just started three weeks ago or so.
The New Evangelization is here, and you have been called!
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I'd be willing to work on an iphone app. I've also published 3 apps on the store.
You can't do Flash on the iphone, either you write a real app, or you have to use the canvas features in Safari to provide a flash like set of features.
I am from South Africa and found this blog after searching for something like a Catholic Developer's Guild. Does something official exist
yet? I believe it should be a platform for many region-based Catholic software projects. A group of Catholic software developers that
provide solutions to the needs of their local parish and diocese. Certain projects might become useful for the Church Universal, in which
case those projects may be promoted and developed by many guild members. Developer Guilds should be small, local and offer specific
solutions for the surrounding community, but there must be a sort of governing body and central point that would facilitate reuse between
projects. There should also be someone that directs and approves projects for development, someone that can provide or facilitate the
granting of official Imprimaturs. The governing body should also determine necessary processes and procedures to ensure that projects under
the banner of the guild are routinely checked for their adherence to official Catholic teaching and that no abuse (fraud, hacks, etc) takes
place. Saint Isidore could be the Patron Saint of the Guild. Open Source technologies could be used and platforms like GitHub, however, the Guild would have to determine on a per-project basis whether the projects themselves will be open source (to limit application spoofing by anyone with an anti-Catholic axe to grind).
http://www.linkedin.com/in/seanglazier?_mSplash=1. Has my profile. I can and do write applications for all platforms including phones. I am orthodox and woul love to write apps for the church
Also regarding the post above you can email me there. I am currently in Luxembourg . I can work remote or onsite. I also have deep faith. If you have questions email me
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