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Facebook iPad App Developer Quits After Repeated Launch Delays

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Apr 12, 2001
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Business Insider noticed earlier today that Facebook engineer Jeff Verkoeyen, who has been responsible for development of the social networking company's iPad application since the beginning of this year, has left his position and taken a job at Google.

facebook_ipad_app.jpg



Facebook's iPad app (Source: TechCrunch)​
In a blog post (apparently down for the moment due to high traffic), Verkeoyen laid out his personal complaints about Facebook and the status of the iPad application, noting that the application has been feature-complete since May but has yet to see a release and may never see the light of day. Verkoeyen has apparently since edited the post to remove his original thoughts on the iPad app.
Verkoeyen wrote on his blog today that he was the lead engineer on the Facebook iPad app back in January. He put a ton of time into the app.

It was feature-complete back in May, he writes, but Facebook kept pushing its release out another two weeks, then another. (Feature-complete doesn't necessarily mean "finished," but it's usually the last stage before a public beta test.)

Now, he thinks it "may never be released."
Click to expand...
Verkoeyen did not offer any details on the reasons behind the repeated delays.

The New York Times reported back in June that a Facebook app for iPad would be released "in coming weeks". In late July, an iPad version of the existing app for iPhone was discovered inside the iPhone app, accessible through a tweak, but Facebook quickly disabled access to the iPad-specific interface through that mechanism. Some had hoped for a launch at the company's F8 conference last week, but an iPad app was not a part of Facebook's announcements at the event.

Article Link: Facebook iPad App Developer Quits After Repeated Launch Delays
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/26/facebook-ipad-app-developer-quits-after-repeated-launch-delays/
:eek:

What he didn't tell is that he was offered 2x or 3x the money their.

Ridiculous excuses. Nobody leaves a project like that + that's not the only thing he would be working on there.

EDIT:
[M.G.S article]
Update: I spoke with Verkoeyen who wanted to clarify a few things. First and foremost, while the app was feature-complete in May, it was not totally done, he says. While he hasn’t been working on it for a some time, others have been, to get it ready. The version that leaked was one iteration, but not the final product, he says.

He also wanted to reiterate that his going to Google was not a reflection on Facebook. He says he loved the time he spent there, but that he was ready for something new. As for the long hours he worked on the app, “I genuinely enjoyed the time I spent working on that. In no way was I trying to lash out at Facebook,” he says.

Exactly what I thought. He was simply poached by Google with a 2x/3x or maybe a 10x price tag.
 
Explain to me why you would need a Facebook app for the iPad when you can just go to the website? What functionality would an app offer that the website wouldn't at a 1074x768 resolution?
 
Too bad, this app looks great, and I'm sure it will work a whole lot better than the FB website does on the iPad.
 
That's unfortunate. It appeared that it was going to be a pretty good app. Hope it sees the light of day sometime in the future.
 
Phenotype said:
Explain to me why you would need a Facebook app for the iPad when you can just go to the website? What functionality would an app offer that the website wouldn't at a 1074x768 resolution?
Click to expand...

Well, for one, photo/video uploads. Not a supported feature of Safari on iOS. Granted, this should be Apple's issue to fix, not Facebook's, but that would be a reason to have an app. :roll eyes:
 
Been waiting for it for ages :(. Maybe they'll release it eventually.. Although I am considering moving to Google+!
 
Phenotype said:
Explain to me why you would need a Facebook app for the iPad when you can just go to the website? What functionality would an app offer that the website wouldn't at a 1074x768 resolution?
Click to expand...

No ads (probably their hangup)? Better use of space? No repetitive download of graphic elements. Same as all specific web site apps. They're faster and more robust than an html centric website. Websites have to redownload the entire interface all the time. They're continually checking to make sure that even cached graphics and interface elements are up to date. And once your cache has been replaced by other content like other websites, etc. then the interface has to be redownloaded. Apps are just better and more device specific. Don't you prefer the mail app to a website email reader? Specific apps can also utilize more gestures and integration with the device. It's all a no brainer really.
 
room237 said:
What's to consider? Just have to wait until more people sign up for it to be as useful.
Click to expand...

Agree. I've been on Google + for a couple of months and it is gradually increasing in users. The problem is that it still requires invites.
 
Not sure why Facebook needs a mobile app on each platform.
Just build a universal web app for people to use via mobile safari or chrome or windows 8.
Instead of developing 3 apps, you develop 1.
Its not like Facebook is doing anything crazy with 3D graphics or anything like that.
 
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