Poll: Thinking About Creating A Mobile Social Media Application For Firearm Enthusiasts?

[Caveman Jim]

I think we are on a gun social media site right now just what I need another App on my phone but if you want go ahead try it out

Aren't you supposed to be driving a truck or something right now? Get back to work. lol

 

[EPS]

Aren't you supposed to be driving a truck or something right now? Get back to work. lol

Just got home this morning so got day off back on the road tomarow lol

 

[11Charlie]

Aren't you supposed to be driving a truck or something right now? Get back to work. lol

He is driving thats what voice chat is for!!

 

[nammac]

He is driving thats what voice chat is for!!

Here, here, voice chat is a great invention... I would say I use it frequently, but then I'd be breaking the Oregon "Hands Free" laws...

 

[ZacharyKhan]

Lots of activity and great feedback! Thank you for your input, first and foremost.

I think it's a good idea, an app that would roll everything up into one. It would have to have access to a huge database. Everyone is afraid of security but yet they post pictures online of their collections and workbenches, reloading benches, cars, bikes etc. and most of the time you can right click on the image and get the gps location and see exactly were the pic was taken.
I think the app would have to be secure, be able to keep out the anti's, which would be a problem.
Just an app that would show all the gun ranges nationwide, with links and photos.the app could also have current info for every gun show in the nation. That would be cool! Even the small shows!!
There are allot of things you could do with it.

Security would, of course, be one of the main focus points of the software powering the mobile app. You're on the right track

I'm not sure and I don't care about Tinder ,instagram etc...
( Although I see your point... )
However I don't think you saw mine.
My point being , This site already does those things that you are saying that your app will do.
And that I am happy with what already exists.

If you want to make a app to do the things you want , like in your OP , then fine , go for it.
No law against it and you don't need mine or anyone else's approval.
If you are looking to see if folks will like it and use it ... Then just look around.
It seems as if there is a "app" for everything and almost anything.
Why wouldn't yours fly?

I just don't see myself using it or needing it.
Believe it or not some folks are happy with a lack of High Tech items in their lives.
You asked in your OP if anyone would be interested in your proposed app.
I'm sure many will be ... just not me.
No offense or slight to you.
Andy

Let me attempt to clarify. Sure, the app will have overlapping features that this forum (and others) already have. Messaging, User Profiles, Photos of firearms, etc.

BUT, forums/bulletin boards are old technology. very old and outdated. Now, I am not saying they still aren't relevant. I'm saying if some of the features you see here on NWF (and many more) are implemented into a mobile application, it would be an interesting endeavor. In today's day & age, nobody goes to "www.blahblah.com", they use a native application. This is true for every major social media service, and there is a reason for it (some of it has to do with better design and user experience implementation, which in-turn results in higher traffic = more $$).

An app on your phone can utilize data points that are not available to your browser. This is what may be raising a red flag for a lot of 2a members, understandably.

At the end of the day, in my honest opinion, if you are the type of individual who might potentially use this type of app.. you probably already have a lot of gun-related search queries from Google, access gun-related forums, etc. If uncle Sam wants to track you, they already have what they need.

P.S., no offense taken Andy!

Prolly has a fair population of "engineering types".

Nerds unite.

@ZacharyKhan Here is the big problem that I see. Even if we all get to know you and say hay I'm going to support this kid and help him with his app. At some point some jack azz is going to offer you a ton of money and you will sell the app because your human. That person then sells it to the government.

Truth be told, that can happen even here on NWF (although I highly doubt it ever would). The app would not access/store ANY information about an individual that NWF, or other similar services, would not access/store.

I don't do social media unless you consider NWFA social media. Social media specializes in making "you" the product. Joe Link would never do that to us so here I'll stay until they ask me to leave which will probably be any day now....

Well, I beg to differ. Social media (at least successful social media) specializes in providing a service to the user and allowing them to socialize with other individuals with something as a mutual interest. In this case, it's firearms. In Tinder's, it's dating.

In return, to maintain the service and make $$ like any other business, they display ads relevant to the network or similar things.

Where you been, the media ALREADY HATES GUNZ and law abiding gun owners.....

Right!

Nope. Don't use FB or other types anymore either. Problem with phone apps - your phone carrier not only has GPS logs of everywhere you go, but cell triangulation data as well. They know every bit of data that crosses their networks. The .gov routinely pulls information from these providers. Doesn't matter if the app itself is "blind" to personal data - your phone is not. No need to make it easier for the corrupt to do corrupt things - and for criminals to gain access to the data. Data breaches are a big thing now - and no one is safe or secure from them.

And I typically dislike "apps" anyway save for a select handful. 99.9% of apps out there are datamines and otherwise useless garbage.

I'm not sure how educated you are in terms of technology and how ISP's work (and the legal boundaries for data mining), but it DOES matter if the app itself is blind to personal data. If the app itself is blind to personal data, there is nothing for ISP's or the Feds to look at. Any other information they get from your device, such as GPS, Search History, etc... they already had access to.

Having this app on your device would, a) be no more inclusive than a forum board like NWF, and b) would give away nothing more than the following - This mobile device has an app on it that allows the user to socialize in a network full of gun enthusiasts.

As far as phone security is concerned.. here is Apple's policy on cooperating with the Feds in regards to individual data:
Privacy - Government Information Requests - Apple

And here is what happened when the federal government could not gain access to the data within an iPhone:
Customer Letter - Apple

Can you imagine the chaos that will happen if a few thousand of those guys are suddenly activated in every state? And wouldn't it be a great advantage to them, to know the exact location of as many gun owners as possible?

This app has nothing to do with providing your exact location to anyone. The application itself never requests access of your device's GPS functionality. They would know the same thing we all know now - the City, State or Postal Code you enter.

Not to get on the topic of what's wrong with my generation (I really hate barely being a millennial) but we all know the younger crowd needs technology to function. For the most part, the tech industry is dominated by anti's. When a kid like Zach comes along, from Corvallis of all places, with a high education, it's a rarity for that person to think guns are cool. Zach's that type of kid who could be the president of a search engine someday and knowing that makes me feel things aren't completely lost in the fight to preserve our Constitution.

Thank you Misteramax, you're appreciated on this side. I am indeed a newfound gun-enthusiast, but as I dive head first into this industry I see the lack of technological advancement between enthusiasts. Maybe that's just the way my brain is wired? Who knows.

p.s., I currently reside in Corvallis due to the fact that I am studying here, but I was born and raised in Los Gatos, CA. Silicon valley baby.

 

[Caveman Jim]

The ONLY APPS I like are at Applebee's...

 

[11Charlie]

The ONLY APPS I like are at Applebee's...

Now thats funny right there!!

 

[Caveman Jim]

Now thats funny right there!!

What, there ar other type of apps out there??? I'm serious.

 

[ZacharyKhan]

The ONLY APPS I like are at Applebee's...

Personally, I hate Applebee's. For each their own.

 

[bolus]

I voted "no" to be honest. Im also not a facebook user and this is pretty much the only location I post.

As other's have said, we tend to be a little more paranoid than the average tinder/facebook user. (we are probably older on average and less likely demographic to jump on the new social media apps).

I'm not so concerned about the obvious security issues but more about the secret ones. The ones were the government requests the information, it is under a gag order or from a secret court and you cant tell us without shutting down the service. Like how reddit no longer has a warrant canary or the owner of Lavabit had to shut down his email service rather than spy on people in secret.

Also knowing the ATF will happily ruin's someone's life to try and win a case, I dont want to make it easier for them. Like this guy who won his case but they still ruined his life
National Guardsman's career destroyed by ATF

 

[Caveman Jim]

Personally, I hate Applebee's. For each their own.

Then we are in total agreement about the apps we do not like...

 

[nammac]

I like BJ's apps myself... Just sayin'

 

[ZacharyKhan]

I voted "no" to be honest. Im also not a facebook user and this is pretty much the only location I post.

As other's have said, we tend to be a little more paranoid than the average tinder/facebook user. (we are probably older on average and less likely demographic to jump on the new social media apps).

I'm not so concerned about the obvious security issues but more about the secret ones. The ones were the government requests the information, it is under a gag order or from a secret court and you cant tell us without shutting down the service. Like how reddit no longer has a warrant canary or the owner of Lavabit had to shut down his email service rather than spy on people in secret.

Also knowing the ATF will happily ruin's someone's life to try and win a case, I dont want to make it easier for them. Like this guy who won his case but they still ruined his life
National Guardsman's career destroyed by ATF

I agree, I also would not want to make it easier for them. I guess the challenge would be in encrypting data both ways and only recording information that is non-intrusive to an individual and their personal information to ensure that even if some agency did gain access to our data - there would be nothing of use for them there.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Sure we can, we do it twice a day. Every day.

Twice a day? I wish!

 

[11Charlie]

I like BJ's

To easy

 

[Joe13]

So.. I've been thinking about mocking up some designs for a mobile application for firearm enthusiasts to network and socialize. Would you be interested in using something like this on your iPhone (and android, later..) ?

To give a vague idea, some of the features COULD be:

• Incorporate ranges across the US. (ex: post pictures of your day at the range, review the range, etc.)
• Nearby FFL's (ex: Get a feel for which FFL's have the best reputation, reviews, etc. in your area.)
• User Profiles (ex: Username, Firearms, Ranges you have been to & how you did for each recorded day at that range, etc.)
• Nearby Ranges (ex: Shows nearby ranges; each range will have a list of formatted posts - each are different users posting pictures, stats, etc. about their day at that range. These posts will show on a users profile for each time they record a day at the range.)
• Firearms (ex: User's, if willing, can post images & statistics of their firearms OR they can anonymously post photo's of their firearms.)

Here's what WOULD NOT happen:

• Your device will NEVER request access to the GPS to track you. (For your user profile you will enter your zip code and that is all that is tied to your account in terms of location services.)
• You are NOT REQUIRED to provide any personal information. (You will login with a username & password, with an email to verify users and recover account passwords. This allows you to remain as anonymous as you'd like.)

Keep in mind, this is just off of the top of my head for now. If there is a decent amount of people who are interested in something like this, I would not mind building a prototype and doing a beta test, launching the app, etc.

Let me know what you think!

Cheers,
Zach

I'm pretty sure that's what we are already doing on the NWFA Forums....

 

[EPS]

I'm pretty sure that's what we are already doing on the NWFA Forums....

Oh I think he has heard that same reply multiple times lol

 

[SFGIANTSGUY28]

Dosent this already exist?

I downloaded this app a year ago or so. Never signed up but looks like what you want to build.

https://m.facebook.com/Gun-Squad-App-971181642929171/

 

[Joe13]

Oh I think he has heard that same reply multiple times lol

Oops, didn't read any of the 4 pages

 

[Quartermaster]

This idea has a snowball's chance in hell of getting anywhere with lifelong gun owners. The idea works for non-gun folk who have become interested in arms in the last 4-5 years after the Newtown shooting brought gun rights under the spotlight. Hundreds of new companies popped up to capitalize on the newfound interest by millions of Americans who didn't know their bubblegum from a hole in the ground. The kind of people who are so new to guns that they say "clip," and "which is better? 9mm or .45?" How many of these companies were start by entrepreneurs who didn't know what SAAMI was before they decided to start pumping out ammo that blew up dozens of customers guns in the first year? (Looking at you, gorilla)

With the way technology has permeated our lives these people think that watching magpul videos on youtube is a substitute for training, and that somehow expertise somehow wears off through the computer monitor. I'm not so smug in my position that I think there's a hierarchy in the gun owning community. I don't think new shooters should shut their mouths when their elders speak, but I do think that expertise comes from hard work, discipline, and humility.

You want a list of ranges in the area? Google. It's not like there's too many of them to count. You want a list of FFLs, and some reviews? Google, or yelp. You want an app that tells you how your shooting day went? Mantis X. Beyond that, I think you're wasting your time and effort.