I don't understand why people rave about AWOL'S guide and certain apps

[Daybreak]

Well I have a phone and 100% in the dark about pretty much all of it. Personally phones are extremely limited to what they can do.

They are extremely limited to what they can do if you are 100% in the dark. Until you master the basics, don't download any new apps, they will be useless to you. You should stick to the PC and paper copies of guide books.

I'll use gmail as the example of what I'm talking to show people just how bad this is for someone like myself, When I open gmail on a computer, All the options that make gmail usable are right there on the screen at the top left, I can see spam, trash, inbox..etc...But when I open GMAIL on a mobile device, the options that show up on a computer, simply aren't there on a mobile device, and I don't mean some of them either, I mean all of them there isn't even a compose option. Furthermore I see strange words like primary. PRIMARY??? I'm sorry but WTH does primary mean. That word doesn't belong in GMAIL because it's not in the computer version.

Gmail is a part of google. Instead of poorly written instruction manuals and people who struggle reading manuals you can google questions on the PC and get good answers. Quit complaining and make an effort. The version on the phone is not the version on the PC. It is designed for smart phones with tiny screens and instead of words, picture icons that are universal and independent of language are used. They are for people who are willing to figure things out with minimal trial and error, willing to ask a friend or coworker with a phone in hand or the nerd down the hall. The world does not stay the same. It changes. You have to learn.

If you google "What does primary mean in gmail on a smart phone"
You get
...Gmail sorts messages into the following categories: Primary: Emails from people you know (and messages that don't appear in other tabs) Social: Messages from social networks and media-sharing sites. Promotions: Deals, offers, newsletters and other “call to action” emails.

If you google "how do I compose in gmail on my smart phone"
You get
A video that clearly shows in steps and buttons to push how to get into gmail and what button to push in the first 37 seconds.

BTW this post is coming from someone who for a year had no idea a phone had a brightness option. The screen went dim and I just thought that's how it was I only found out about it when someone asked to borrow my phone and asked me why is the screen so dark, I replied phones don't have a brightness option so I didn't think to mention it, I thought people accepted that and just dealt with it. For 3 years I didn't know you could even close screens. I had to shut the phone off to close the screen. To this day I still have no idea what SCAN a QR code means because every time I open my camera and take a picture of it, nothing happens I wind up with a bunch of pictures of QR codes in my gallery.

Use google. Lots of written info that is very clear if you ask very clear question. Google to see if there is a guidebook for your phone. Sounds like you picked the wrong phone and phone service. You assume things. Don't. Ask people, real people.

There are two brands and phone service designed for first time and novice users. I own one. It comes with a user’s guide. A real person answers the phone in customer service. They answer all the basic questions and are very helpful but you need to call on a different phone.

[HeartFire]

So this guy is now also posting videos about how bad and bogus ultralight hiking is - the "Ultralight Lie".

[Kittyslayer]

Far Out does take some playing with. I'd suggest you go to the FarOut web site and watch their video's. Sometimes you have to pause them and watch a few times. Also, if there is a trail on FarOut near you, download that. Then you can be close to home and yet go hike and get used to the app. Link to the FarOut "how to". https://faroutguides.com/app-basics/

I can be a bit of a luddite and have a preference for paper maps. But yesterday I downloaded the FarOut app and purchased the AT mapset that is on sale this week. Process was simple and playing around with it for a day it is fairly intuitive. A tent icon indicates a campsite and if you click on it there are even more details. A water drop indicates a water source and if you click on it you can get feedback from hikers on the recent conditions. Do you really need a 418 page printed handbook to tell you those things? I will go through the App-Basics linked above and watch some videos. Probably ask a few questions online to get the maximum benefit. But out of the box it is an app I could use without further guidance.

I am retiring from a pretty buttoned up profession that requires attention to detail and procedures but also demands the ability to think. One of my goals for the trail is to become more flexible in life and accept and adapt to circumstances I can't control. If you don't like FarOut or AWOL then don't use them, but don't whine because you are unwilling to learn and adapt. Maybe you can hike the AT and then produce your own perfect guide.

Never let the struggles of life interfere with the pleasures of living.

[Matt_C]

I can be a bit of a luddite and have a preference for paper maps. But yesterday I downloaded the FarOut app and purchased the AT mapset that is on sale this week. Process was simple and playing around with it for a day it is fairly intuitive.

Fairly intuitive is an opinion, not a fact nor can it be used as a statement to counterpoint anything. What is a fact is there are no instructions that tells the user what do do. something taking it upon themselves to quote try something has no bearing on anything. If there is no instruction, then there is nothing to do people are always trying to argue or debate that for some mind boggling reason instructions are somehow not needed. UMM without instructions it's useless, there has to be some form of on screen written instruction telling a user what to do to get to each point and what to do once they get to that point. An app is nothing but something that hides everything from the user and without instructions starting the user off as a basic guide, the user has absolutely no possible way to even begin to guess or know what the makers of the app want them to do. The instructions 100% must be provided. If not it's a useless thing that cannot be used.

it's not the users responsibility to LOOK anything up. Anyone trying to argue otherwise is a troll. The maker of a app, made the app, therefore they need to explain it, no one else. Unless the makers of something point blank says go look something up and says where and provides a list of everything in the app so the user knows what's available, then people needs to stop with the look it up line of crap.

I found nothing about the app understandable. What are you supposed to do when you open the app. There is zero direction on anything. I opened it..and now what..Is something supposed to be happening? Am i supposed to know what to do after it's opened? With no instructions you cannot say it's intuitive.

[CalebJ]

Fairly intuitive is an opinion, not a fact nor can it be used as a statement to counterpoint anything. What is a fact is there are no instructions that tells the user what do do. something taking it upon themselves to quote try something has no bearing on anything. If there is no instruction, then there is nothing to do people are always trying to argue or debate that for some mind boggling reason instructions are somehow not needed. UMM without instructions it's useless, there has to be some form of on screen written instruction telling a user what to do to get to each point and what to do once they get to that point. An app is nothing but something that hides everything from the user and without instructions starting the user off as a basic guide, the user has absolutely no possible way to even begin to guess or know what the makers of the app want them to do. The instructions 100% must be provided. If not it's a useless thing that cannot be used.

it's not the users responsibility to LOOK anything up. Anyone trying to argue otherwise is a troll. The maker of a app, made the app, therefore they need to explain it, no one else. Unless the makers of something point blank says go look something up and says where and provides a list of everything in the app so the user knows what's available, then people needs to stop with the look it up line of crap.

I found nothing about the app understandable. What are you supposed to do when you open the app. There is zero direction on anything. I opened it..and now what..Is something supposed to be happening? Am i supposed to know what to do after it's opened? With no instructions you cannot say it's intuitive.

Is it possible you've skipped a dose of medication?

[Matt_C]

If I put out a board game and never provided any instructions on how to play it, then no one knows what5 to do nor can they guess. I made the game therefore me and me alone is responsible for explaining how to play the game it to people. If someone complained about they don't know what to do, no one has any business or right telling that person to look it up or figure it out because it's not the consumers responsibility to do the job I'm required to do. It doesn't matter how many videos exists, they have no relevance to I didn't provide instructions and I'm supposed to..You aren't going to hold the user responsible or blame the user, because the company is way too lazy to explain how to use a product they made.

This crap of people saying look it up is ridiculous and cannot be used to argue.

Not sure at what point this half assed backwards mindset people have developed but it's idiotic.

A company made a product they are the ones that need to explain it..that is how things work.

[Matt_C]

Is it possible you've skipped a dose of medication?

What's with the failed attempt at insulting me for posting a factual statement?

[CalebJ]

What's with the failed attempt at insulting me for posting a factual statement?

It's not an insult, failed or otherwise. You've posted 15 things in the last few days that are truly odd strings of incoherent rants. That was a legitimate question.

[JackieO]

Fairly intuitive is an opinion, not a fact nor can it be used as a statement to counterpoint anything. What is a fact is there are no instructions that tells the user what do do. something taking it upon themselves to quote try something has no bearing on anything. If there is no instruction, then there is nothing to do people are always trying to argue or debate that for some mind boggling reason instructions are somehow not needed. UMM without instructions it's useless, there has to be some form of on screen written instruction telling a user what to do to get to each point and what to do once they get to that point. An app is nothing but something that hides everything from the user and without instructions starting the user off as a basic guide, the user has absolutely no possible way to even begin to guess or know what the makers of the app want them to do. The instructions 100% must be provided. If not it's a useless thing that cannot be used.

it's not the users responsibility to LOOK anything up. Anyone trying to argue otherwise is a troll. The maker of a app, made the app, therefore they need to explain it, no one else. Unless the makers of something point blank says go look something up and says where and provides a list of everything in the app so the user knows what's available, then people needs to stop with the look it up line of crap.

I found nothing about the app understandable. What are you supposed to do when you open the app. There is zero direction on anything. I opened it..and now what..Is something supposed to be happening? Am i supposed to know what to do after it's opened? With no instructions you cannot say it's intuitive.

Part of my job is making maps and sometimes I create web apps for those maps to be used on phones, tablets and desktops. A phone and tablet are smaller, so cannot possibly contain everything that is viewable on the desktop map all at once. It is simply the nature of things. If you expect a phone or tablet app to work just like a website would then you are going to be disappointed a lot. However, you can learn to work with the different tools at your disposal. Sometimes you may have to look up how-to articles or videos (feel free to call me a troll here, but I have no problem looking up how to do something if it interests me).

The basic instructions for the FarOut App can be found on your phone or computer at https://faroutguides.com/app-basics/. There is a button on the App (ios) for Online Tutorials & Help button, but it doesn't appear to be working right now.

The FarOut app is just another tool in the arsenal (one a lot of people really seem to appreciate).

[JNI64]

Part of my job is making maps and sometimes I create web apps for those maps to be used on phones, tablets and desktops. A phone and tablet are smaller, so cannot possibly contain everything that is viewable on the desktop map all at once. It is simply the nature of things. If you expect a phone or tablet app to work just like a website would then you are going to be disappointed a lot. However, you can learn to work with the different tools at your disposal. Sometimes you may have to look up how-to articles or videos (feel free to call me a troll here, but I have no problem looking up how to do something if it interests me).

The basic instructions for the FarOut App can be found on your phone or computer at https://faroutguides.com/app-basics/. There is a button on the App (ios) for Online Tutorials & Help button, but it doesn't appear to be working right now.

The FarOut app is just another tool in the arsenal (one a lot of people really seem to appreciate).

Looks easy enough for a 10 year old to figure out

[chknfngrs]

Let’s stop feeding this

[CalebJ]

Let’s stop feeding this

Good call. I should have bowed out sooner.

[JackieO]

Good call. I should have bowed out sooner.

It’s hard when you see people whose advice or posts have helped me with my hiking trips being called names and disrespected, but yep heading to the high road.

[Matt_C]

Let’s stop feeding this

I agree, people need to stop dictating what someone else needs for instruction and if goes against their opinion, they start attacking the user who called out the stupidity of the developer.



qoute=JackieO]
Part of my job is making maps and sometimes I create web apps for those maps to be used on phones, tablets and desktops. A phone and tablet are smaller, so cannot possibly contain everything that is viewable on the desktop map all at once. It is simply the nature of things. [/quote] then you have no business releasing something to a consumer. it's yoru responsibility to make sure the consumer knows every single thing you put into an app



qoute=JackieO]If you expect a phone or tablet app to work just like a website would then you are going to be disappointed a lot.[/quote]
No what I expect you developers to do is to stop assuming someone can look at what you did and magically know how it works.


qoute=JackieO]However, you can learn to work with the different tools at your disposal. Sometimes you may have to look up how-to articles or videos (feel free to call me a troll here, but I have no problem looking up how to do something if it interests me).[/quote]
Unless rhe developer point blank says that information exists, then your statement doesn't apply. Your using assumption then trying to push that onto the consumer that isn't how that works. You cannot use look things up as a defense when the user hasn't been told by the developer

qoute=JackieO]The basic instructions for the FarOut App can be found on your phone or computer at https://faroutguides.com/app-basics/. There is a button on the App (ios) for Online Tutorials & Help button, but it doesn't appear to be working right now. [/quote]
Well that's interesting considering that information isn't listed or posted anywhere a user can see upon opening the app. There is no avenue you can use to argue that information is something a consumer can do because Unless there is an on screen text message right on the screen from the developer upon opening the app that lets the user know the information you just posted exists, then it's irrelevant. You cannot use hidden information as an argument to say well the user can go here and find out what they need to know...that isn't how that works.

qoute=JackieO]The FarOut app is just another tool in the arsenal (one a lot of people really seem to appreciate).[/quote]
doesn't matter what anyone wants to say about it, fact is once the app is opened there are no instructions which makes it 100% useless. At what point are you al going to accept that I am right and the rest of you are incorrect.
When I open up the app there is nothing at all t

[JNI64]

This boring me

[CalebJ]

Probably better off just locking this before it gets further and further off the deep end.

[LazyLightning]

My 2018 Awol guide explains everything perfect in the first couple pages but it's pretty self explanatory without even reading that. Some things these days require just a little common sense to go with it, though that seems all but common these days. You mean you want to have your cake and eat it to?

[JNI64]

This reminds me of our friend from HI that was on here a few years ago LMAO!!

[Matt_C]

My 2018 Awol guide explains everything perfect in the first couple pages but it's pretty self explanatory without even reading that.

You all keep using OPINION to try to argue against a fact.

The AWOL guide doesn't go over anything I pointed out which renders the remainder of the info you're talking about totally useless.

[Matt_C]

How is someone supposed to plan resupply points using this guide when there is no possible way to do so. The guide doesn't explain how to know where you are or how far it is to the next town or anything.

YOu all keep saying you're using it and yet none of you can actually outline from start to finish the exact procedure step by step process in how you are taking the information from the guide and making any determination of anything.