Send system notification when user is close to a location on the Nearby Places list

[nicolas-raoul]

With the same data as seen at #73

We would probably need to run some server-side code to achieve push notifications.
I am not sure we can use Google's push service, so anyone feel free to post ideas of the technology we could use to develop this feature, thanks!
Client-side library must be open source and service must be compatible with Wikimedia's privacy policy.

[misaochan]

Just clarifying, you mean that the user gets a notification when he is close to (say, 50m) a location that is on the Nearby list?

[nicolas-raoul]

I forgot I had created this issue haha
Yes, exactly.

[tobias47n9e]

I would say it needs some other parameters too. Maybe just a few pop ups a day, so it doesn't get annoying.
100 m seems like a good default, but being able to set the radius would be nice.
I am not sure if some users would like to filter by categories, but that can probably wait.

[misaochan]

I agree, probably 1 or 2 notifications a day max, and the option to disable the feature if they want to. I'm not sure how this would work though. I know Google Cloud Messaging is a free service that can do push notifications from the server side, but that isn't open source I think?

[nicolas-raoul]

It should be opt-in, or at least very easy to opt-out (via button within the notification for instance, and preferences).

[misaochan]

Is this the same as #259 ?

[nicolas-raoul]

That issue's title made it sound similar but the body is a very different idea.
I renamed that issue to reflect the body.

[misaochan]

Another option for sending push notifications - https://firebase.google.com/docs/cloud-messaging/ . Would this be compatible with our policies?

[sivaraam]

I'm not sure what I'm missing but why do you need a server to send push notifications? Couldn't you do that on the client itself?

[nicolas-raoul]

I also don't think we really need push notifications, it is not like we are a messenging app for talk pages (that could be an idea for another app haha)

Network-wise polling once in a while is actually probably better than waiting for a push all day long.

Push notifications' infrastructure would be heavier in terms of maintenance. It would also become a source of problem when people fork the app and modify it heavily or introduce bugs.

[janpio]

What is described in the initial post maybe would not even be implemented with push notifications but local notifications: It could be a setting the user can opt in, so his app checks regularly (also when only running in background) for relevant locations and then sends a local notification that informs them about it and allows a shortcut to opening the app.

Implementing this with a push notification from a server would actually be more complicated. The app still would have to check the location regularly (also in the background) but then send it to a server that then finds out if there is a POI near by, then sends a push notification to the device. This would introduce a server side component not only to send push to a user (which means all users have to exist in a server side database with their push token connected to some user id) but also to check for a nearby relevant location (which would duplicate logic that is already in the app).

(Discussing technical implementation details almost never makes sense before specifying the actual feature that should be implemented...)

[sivaraam]

Network-wise polling once a day is actually probably better than waiting for a push all day long.

That was what I had in my mind. What's needed is an Android service not a web service.

Implementing this with a push notification from a server would actually be more complicated.

That's true. It's more easier to do it on the client side where all the crucial info is present.

(Discussing technical implementation details almost never makes sense before specifying the actual feature that should be implemented...)

@janpio I thought the feature was notifying an use about a nearby location requiring an image even though the app isn't open.

[nemobis]

Kaartic Sivaraam, 06/09/2017 12:52:

@janpio <https://github.com/janpio> I thought the feature was notifying an use about a nearby location requiring an image even though the app isn't open.

Indeed

[misaochan]

Thanks, all! I did not realize this was achievable without push notifications. That would be helpful indeed. I will modify the title.

I thought the feature was notifying an use about a nearby location requiring an image even though the app isn't open.

Yeah, correct.

As stated at #865 , there are two different suggestions for system notifications, this and #259 (which would only trigger when the user takes a photo near the location, not just by being near the location). Do we want both? Or should we start with #259 , and see how that goes first?

[janpio]

(Please note my #259 (comment) - I am not sure this was about a notification at all in the beginning)

[sivaraam]

As stated at #865 , there are two different suggestions for system notifications, this and #259 (which would only trigger when the user takes a photo near the location, not just by being near the location). Do we want both? Or should we start with #259 , and see how that goes first?

I guess you would need both to address all kinds of users. Some user would love to take a lot of pictures and would be happy to know that their snap might contribute something to commons. A few others who don't take pictures often all the time would love to take a snap when they come to know a place near them is in need of a picture.