UKC

The UKC Top Photos App is now available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Also read about the Annual UKC/UKH Mountain Photography Awards

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=63473

I've got an Android phone

In reply to UKC News:

doesn't show up in iTunes if you search for UKC, put a space in the name (UKC TopPhotos) and you'll get a lot more hits

worthy app though

In reply to UKC News: does it work on android?

In reply to stevev:

Hi Ian> I searched for UKC earlier and it showed up? Where were you searching, iPad, iPhone, or iTunes?

Hi Steve> An Android app will be out later this year.

Cheers, Paul.

I can't comment much on the app (I don't have an iwhatever), however I do have a question (and second smaller gripe).

Firstly, will the terms and conditions of upload be amended to allow a photographer to exclude their photos from being distributed via this app? I only ask as for some people this may not be how they want their photos distributed, and it's a bit presumptuous to think everyone will be fine with it. (I do approve of your 'you keep the copyright' approach though!).

Second (and this is more of a long running thing about the site), hows does the development time required to produce and maintain two iphone apps compare to that of upgrading the general usability of the site? The new app comes across as being a bit of a gimmick (like I say I haven't actually tried it, but I also understand it gets revenue from a cooperate sponsor). However from the perspective of a long term users of the site, I'd much prefer the website to have less niggly usability issues*, than to be able to look at pictures on an iphone which I could already see through my web browser. I personally would love to see the site brought up to a really good modern standard and feel before branching out into trendy side projects


(* just to illustrate one which annoys me every day -- when you're on the front page of the photos section and spot a particularly interesting photo (say the one above 'New this Week'), clicking on does not take you to the photo your interested in, but instead to a page where 9 times out of 10 the photo isn't present).

In reply to hcooper:

Re your last point, click on the small + sign to the top right hand side of the photo and that thumbnail will then open as the full sized version.

In reply to hcooper:

The development of the app was done by Stuart, who works subcontract for us.

Paul and Nick (and Alan and others) work full-time on site development: that includes UKHillwaking.com, UKClimbing.com and Rockfax.com. A new Rockfax site is about to be launched, and a major feature, Route Cards, at UKHillwalking.com.


Click on the small square box with the plus sign top right, that photo will open full size.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/

In reply to hcooper:


Will discuss with Alan when he gets back from holiday.

In reply to hcooper:


Wot Fraser said

In reply to hcooper:



Totally agree with this, this is a pain in the arse, and poor design.

In reply to snoop6060:

Click on the small square box with the plus sign top right, that photo will open full size.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/

It probably should have some words..

• click on the photo to see all the latest photos

• click on small square box with the plus sign to see the featured photo

In reply to Mick Ryan - Senior Editor - UKC:

That does exactly what I want - Excellent!

But I couldn't find it on my own - and I'm not exactly an internet newbie.

Your mention of it just reminded me - I forgot to mention the new route-cards/mapping/routing feature is a really good development. It's not the technical side I think the site is lacking, it's just that final polish of the interface/usability side which has become a hallmark of social websites in the last few years, a certain "slickness" which makes things easy to use.

But it's good to know people are listening to feedback

In reply to hcooper:

I agree hc.... there is a tendency for techies to presume way too much about how people navigate websites. Everything really should be spelled out and if not spelled out be as intuitive as possible. It can't be taken for granted that all know what a link is, that photos expand, that banners can be clicked on and lead to somewhere else.

Good design caters for all levels of knowledge and understanding without being condescending.

How about a UKC Crag Database App. Using GPS finds the nearest crags, lists routes, photos etc?? Would be great!!

In reply to hcooper:

Thanks for the feedback, as soon as the new Rockfax site is live then I think the focus will be on improving the usability of current areas on UKC.

Cheers, Paul.