What if, one day, maybe it’s not for 5 more years, the Flarum Foundation published an app in app stores where anyone could plug in any website URL that uses Flarum, and it would pull all the posts into the app?
It could be supported by charging something like $2.99 for the app download. Or, it could be supported by only working with your forum if you (the webmaster) pay an annual fee to have your site connected to the app.
It could just be a Flarum Reader. No posting ability... just a native app way for your users to read your forum's posts. Or, it could somehow offer posting ability. Probably a lot harder to do.
I'm also thinking this would be more than just a fancy browser... it would not be displaying your forum as-is... it would be one minimal, fast, modern app design showing your forum's posts in a different way. Via an API. Since Flarum by default doesn’t have something like RSS. Because that would be another option... the app could be a fancy feed reader.
Why? Smartphone apps are obviously incredibly popular. But, for a webmaster hobbyist, it is very difficult and expensive to own your own app. I'm dreaming of a way anyone with a Flarum installation technically could offer an app.
I guess another way to think about it is it would be a super fancy and modern webring. You could go from Flarum community to Flarum community in one app. Almost like the fediverse too. Connecting Flarum communities together.
It wouldn’t be hosting the communities... just pulling from them wherever they are hosted.
I'm getting Deja Vu. Have I already posted about this here? 😅
