I really want to sincerely thank everyone who participated, whether they posted to this thread or not.
It was a worthy experiment in community participation and I know a few people tried hard to get the word out and build enthusiasm for the project. I'm truly grateful for that.
However... On a site with over a quarter million members and millions of lurkers; a site that has many thousands viewing it at any given time... A site which has an editorial staff and a News Feed read daily by tens of thousands and said editorial staff neglecting to push word of the project after being tipped twice that I know of... Given these factors...
While I am personally indebted to each and every person who showed support in this thread, I have to state unequivocally that the results are less than disappointing, they are disturbing and depressing.
6 weeks time. This project was active for 6 weeks. Plenty of time for someone to set aside just $0.99 or whatever it amounts to locally in order to remove the ads from an app they already use or purchase a bargain. I wasn't asking everyone to move heaven and earth. I realize this isn't the drive to fund a cure to cancer. I kept my expectations low and tried to show what a low cost of participation there could be so as to entice as many to participate as possible.
From inception to end this thread was viewed 2,000 times and posted to 40. I made the title as explicit as I could to draw views. IMHO the view rate was pretty low and the participation rate of views to posts an abysmal 2%. The message from this community is resounding apathy...
I have
never, Ever, EVER been one to worry about the App Gap. Honestly I don't need or use many Apps. I'm waaaaaay below average in my App consumption. But I care about this platform. I care about this community. I hear the cries ring out daily that lack of Apps is killing Windows Phone. I borrowed from the webOS community (much smaller, BTW and go check out their Buy an App day threads) and brought forward a means to show developers they are wanted and valued on Windows Phone.
And crickets chirped.
If one wonders why there are not as many Apps being developed for this platform, I think we've found a couple of solid causal factors. Apathy within the community and an apparent feeling of entitlement. I read it over and over on this forum in threads and posts daily. "We should have all these Apps..." and "It should be free..." are far and away the 2nd and 3rd most frequent comments on the board. Number one being, of course, "%@#$ Microsoft for not making my phone's Region/Country/Carrier and Model the first to receive every update and I want it before it is even released - gimme, gimme, gimme and gimme some more for FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE or I'll just huff off to iPhonedroid and that will show YOU ALLLLLLLLLL."
Do I sound angry and bitter? I am. But more so depressed and sad.
If you want a lush garden bearing plentiful fruit, you have to attend to it. You have to put in some work. You have to pay those who toil in that garden. This is not Eden and all is not handed to you by divine providence.
To those who showed love of Windows Phone by participating, I Thank You deeply and warmly.
Alienhead95
amitnahar
wpn00b
Laura Knotek
megauni
IndyJG
ven07
codytebaldi
You are all heroes in my book.
Moderators - can we get this thread locked and unstickied so the waves of apathy can drift it away into oblivion? And let's all of us hope that isn't a harbinger for this platform.
Sadly,
R
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