aTrackDog: Good or Bad Idea?
The guys at http://android.a0soft.com/ have a new Android application called aTrackDog. The stated purpose of the application is to help you make sure that you have the latest version of each third-party application installed on your phone. Basically, the application sends information about the installed version of your application to the a0soft.com servers. The servers then see if any user has a more recently version number and notifies all other users of their software that there is a more recent release.
aTrackDog has a MAJOR design flaw: if a beta user who is also an aTrackDog user has a beta version of your application on their phone – ALL aTrackDog users get an alert indicating they are running an out of date version of the software despite the fact that they have the most recent public release. Starting on Friday we began getting emails from aTrackDog users who complained that they could not download the latest release of our software. Our current version is 3.0.0, but aTrackDog showed that our most recent version was 3.0.5 (an internal alpha version). We DO have a public beta running at 3.0.4, but the most recent public/stable release (i.e. the one in the Market) is 3.0.0. aTrackDog is listing 3.0.5 as our latest release so each aTrackDog user receives an alert that they need to update their version of ShopSavvy. Our users are becoming more and more frustrated as their emails reveal.
Rylan exchanged several emails with ‘Gasolin’ at the company who makes aTrackDog who suggested that we need ask our beta users to click ‘Not Track this version’ in the aTrackDog settings. Rylan tried to explain that we have no control over what our beta users do or do not do. If a single beta user fails to select ‘Not Track this version’ in the aTrackDog settings ALL aTrackDog users will get a notice that they are missing an update and the emails will start again. Ug! IMHO: This is a design flaw.
Rylan finally explained to Gasolin in the forth or fifth email exchange, “I think your method of version tracking is very clever. You managed to let your users’ phones do the difficult data-collection for you. Unfortunately your strategy is not 100%, it’s not sustainable. When there are 10,000 applications in the Market and half of them are releasing private versions how will you handle the flood of support emails and admin emails coming your way? I recommend that you change your model such that it includes some sort of review process first. When a new version is submitted to your database, before you notify the world, you should go verify its existence first. This would include either finding it in the Market or updating the URL for manual download.”
Rylan is much more reserved than I would have been. Here are the two biggest problems with aTrackDog IMHO:
a. Any decent application (most that we have seen in the Market, including ShopSavvy) has their own simple version checking system. With fewer than ten lines of code the application developer can have your own application check to see if there is an update and allow for a quick, single click update. Why would you need a third-party application to do this for you?
b. The REAL purpose of the aTrackDog is to gain market intelligence – i.e. how many users are running which applications. This data is VERY valuable, are they paying you for this data? My advice? Uninstall the application as it isn’t useful and will likely cause confusion. Otherwise, suggest they FIX the beta-bug in their process.
[...] makers of ShopSavvy are one of the companies that have seen their share of emails and issues with this. Currently, they have a public beta version of 3.0.4 available, in addition to the [...]
[...] makers of ShopSavvy are one of the companies that have seen their share of emails and issues with this. Currently, they have a public beta version of 3.0.4 available, in addition to the [...]
aTrackDog also has a big problem with non-Marketplace listed apps. It assumes that all apps are listed in the Marketplace and so sends the user to the Marketplace for updates. The AndAppStore client can’t be listed in Marketplace because it’s a competitor service and so who are not on the latest version will always be sent to a place where the app will never be available, which is just poor design.
OI Update does a better job imho. It requires developers to add something to their manifests or list their apps at AndAppStore, but it puts version control in the hands of developers and allows developers to specify non-marketplace download URLs, which is a far better way of working.
I’ll try this again since last night’s post didn’t make it through. Either it was too long or censored.
In the case of ShopSavvy and some others, aTrackDog gives the user a CHOICE of downloading from the Market or a developer web site. The Market option will not allow you to install the “newer” version because there isn’t one posted to the market. If they opt for the web site then they’re on their own.
DiskUsage currently shows version 1.0 in the Market but aTrackDog shows 1.3.1 available. If you go to the developer web site you’ll find 1.0. I shrug it off as an error and move on. If it’s not in the Market I don’t download it. And I sure as hell am not going to post my mobile number to download 3.0.5 beta of ShopSavvy. I say no to marketing calls and e-mail spam.
Seems like users do not know how to make their own informed decisions. Maybe they shouldn’t be playing with software because they may hurt themselves.
Now where exactly is the update button in ShopSavvy? Of the 77 applications I’ve downloaded from the Market maybe five have some update “feature” and most of it was telling me to go to the Market to get the latest update. Why should I go to 77 individual apps and try to find updates? I can try and go to the Market and sort all apps by date and wade through until the last time I think I had an update.
aTrackDog serves a real purpose because the lack of an “official” Market version tracker. Either the Market needs to implement one or require every application maker to include one if they are going to distribute software via Market.
aTrackDog is doing a service to G1 users out there. There have been only two apps that had “problems” with versions and I made my choice by ignoring them. Now if ShopSavvy could give me accurate and up-to-date pricing for on-line and local products, and include lots more products instead of getting the dreaded product not found that many often get… Maybe the folks at ShopSavvy should take their advice to aTrackDog and verify all their database pricing prior to presenting it to G1 users.
I like ShopSavvy and use it with it’s limitations. Just glad it’s free because it’s not something I’d pay for. The reason for my reply is because of the tone of aTrackDog: Good or Bad Idea? post. Someone seems to be pissed because they have lots of (l)users complaining to them.
aTrackDog no longer offers ShopSavvy 3.0.5 as of this posting. Happy guys?
[...] though has a “MAJOR” design flaw, if a beta tester is also an aTrackDog users then all users of aTrackDog will get a notification [...]
“…Now if ShopSavvy could give me accurate and up-to-date pricing for on-line and local products…instead of getting the dreaded product not found…maybe the folks at ShopSavvy should take their advice to TrackDog and verify all their database pricing prior to presenting it to G1 users.”
I agree!
The expression “Eat your own dog food” comes to mind. Get it? Eat your own *dog food*…Shop Savvy not practicing what they preach…Track”DOG*?
[...] [Big in Japan via Android Community] [...]
Maybe this Application Update Service could be the next app from Big in Japan.
,Michael Martin
http://www.googleandblog.com/
I’ve tried it and it’s very useful.
my friend created this utility…
[...] you can try atrackdog. aTrackDog v3.00 Application for Android | Tools however, read this first and decide for yourself… Big in Japan | aTrackDog: Good or Bad Idea? [...]
We don’t have a database. We are like a search engine – we can’t find something that retailers don’t want to show. That being said, according to our stats less than 1% of items scanned by our users come back ‘product not found’. So what are you scanning?
Google is including it in the next version of the Market.