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I understand that the feature request literally says "challenges on the web", however I believe that the spirit of the request is to make challenges available for those who didn't have it before (don't have smartphones). At the time the request was made, the only UI for Fitbit available on the computer was the web interface and thus it made sense that the nature of the request was to add challenges to the computer UI (which was at the time, strictly the web dashboard). Since the request was made 11/2014, Windows 10 has shipped (on 07/2015) and then Fitbit released their Windows 10 app.
So, while this feature request may have 900+ votes, it doesn't really have 900+ votes. There's every reason to believe that many of those folks who had voted for it, either do not need it anymore or are simply not aware that they may run the Windows 10 Fitbit App for access to the challenges. In fact, I was just responding to a thread where folks wanted to access challenges without a smartphone and they weren't aware that they can use the Windows 10 Fitbit App. Once, I mentioned this, they were unblocked (and seemed happy). They would've voted for this feature request, but wouldn't now.
There are features that are available strictly on the Fitbit App (like Challenges, Adventures, MobileRun, MobileTrack, Trophies) and features that are available strictly on the web interface (like Groups, Friends' sync times on leaderboard, and some settings like 12/24 clock setting). So I think the question that Fitbit really wants to know is how many of their users don't have access to the Fitbit App on any platform. Considering that this is limited to users who run MacOS, ChromeOS, or older versions of Windows and also don't have a smartphone, I suspect that number is very small.
So while there are folks, like you, who want this feature independent of the fact that a Windows 10 Fitbit App exists (which is completely fair). However, you also have to at least entertain the idea that with the availability of the Windows 10 Fitbit App, you can't legitimately count all 900+ votes as the folks who still want it, nor can you legitimately claim that Fitbit has ignored this feature request for 2+ years. For many folks, this feature request has been addressed in spirit.
In answer to the post that there are likely a very small number of users who have Mac OS, Chrome OS or older versions of Windows and do not have a smartphone. Add my name to that small number. I still use a flip phone and have an Apple desktop. I posted over a year ago that I would like challenges on my desktop…and am still waiting. And to answer the comment that I can use bootcamp to load Windows 10 on my Apple … yes I could, but I’m not going to go to all that complexity for just one little feature, nor am I going to buy a smartphone for that one little feature. I plainly just continue to want challenges on my my desktop using Mac OS.
I am constantly on my ipod checking my challenges, but I'm at work all day, and would LOVE to be abel to have the dasbhoard open to check throughout the day but I cannot see the challenges. I can check my steps easily enough, but for me, the challenges are the most motivating! Please add this to the computer dashboard as an option, please!!!!!!!!
So I saw that you don't even have to have a FITBIT to do a FITBIT challenge!!! but you can't join a challenge if you don't have a smartphone. It can't be that difficult to make it so that I can join challenges on the desktop dashboard. PLEASE do this!
Any Windows 10 desktop, laptop, or tablet. Kindle Fire tablet. Android tablet. iPad. iPod Touch.
And they can all participate in challenges. Some of these (like some Kindle Fire models) cost less than a Fitbit Zip."
Yes, all of these devices DO run the Fitbit app, thereby eliminating the need to use a web browser. That, however is not the point of this thread/request. Some of the devices named above cost less than a Fitbit Zip, implying they are relatively inexpensive. For some people ANY extra device may be an unaffordable luxury (the current Fitbit having been a gift). It is also slightly arrogant of Fitbit to assume people will go and by an extra device just to use one (albeit popular) part of their system.
This request was originally made over 2 years ago in November of 2014 and has been "Under Consideration" for nearly that long, with continued requests for access of challenges be added to the WEB BROWSER platform, not APP/MOBILE. I feel that it would be a gesture of good faith on FitBit to at least give us an official reason why this hasn't been done.
I wonder if part of the problem is that this is a "community discussion" forum rather than a help forum. I know Fitbit staff occasionally read/response to these threads, but in general, and with far more than just this issue, it seems like they are mostly nonresponsive and users are left saying "come on, Fitbit, why is this such a big deal, why can't you even address the issue?"
I'm wondering if there is a better place to register our complaints -- an actual help desk perhaps?
I mean, if someone with a Windows 10 machine or a Kindle Whatever or Android Somethingorother comes here to ask about challenges and goes away happy after learning that they can see the challenges on their non-Fitbit gizmo by downloading some app, that's great, but the essence of this thread is about people who want to see/participate in challenges ON THEIR [non-Windows 10] DASHBOARD without having to add an unwanted app or gadget just for that.
Maybe Fitbit should stop promoting the challenges as something that all Fitbit owners can do. I mean, if I buy a camera and discover that it can also tell me the temperature, that's great, but if it couldn't, I wouldn't be upset because I would not have expected that in the first place. But if I discover my camera doesn't have a flash, I *will* be upset because it is reasonable for a person to think a flash is an integral part of a camera, not an extra that needs to be bought separately or contorted to configure.
Is Fitbit actually even seeing the comments here? Or do they think of these forums as just a place where users chat and give each other advice? Where/how should we be making these comments in order to get an actual response from the company?
Precisely the point. At the time the request was made (November 2014), the only UI to Fitbit on the computer was the online dashboard. While the literal request was to bring the challenges to the web dashboard, you can make the case that the spirit of the request was to have challenges available from their computer. In fact, I had recently responded to a thread where someone was asking if you could join challenges without a smartphone. Once they found that they could participate from the Fitbit App on Windows 10, they seemed happy.
Many people have been unblocked by running the Fitbit App on Windows 10. Oh, and if you have a Windows 7 device, you had an option for a free upgrade to Windows 10. So if you were running Windows 7, you had the option to participate in challenges without spending a penny.
So while I understand that the Windows 10 Fitbit App does not address all users' needs, it's also not necessarily legit to look at the time the feature request was submitted nor to look at the number of votes. For a great many of these users, this issue has been addressed... They can participate in challenges from their desktop computers and that addresses (the spirit of) the feature request.
Hi all, I'm sorry, but when I sit at work all day, I don;t want to have to keep picking up my iPod to see how I'm fairing in the workweek hustle. HOW, can I see that on my PC? When I open the web based Fitbit.com I cannot see any challenges ???? Thanks
I understand that. I didn't really feel that I needed to include every single other device.
I have made the choice to not own any "smart" type of devices. Smart phones, tablets, or anything else of the like.. and I have a mac. I appreciate that I can still use my fitbit for personal use. I am not going to go purchase a special device to do challenges. Is it the end of the world? no. I am trying to comment more in hopes that they will see that this is something that will not be a waste of their resources and I do not believe it can be THAT hard to make accessable on the desktop dashboard.
I am not here to argue with you, or anything of the like. As I can see from browsing the thread that you have responded to many peoples comments. So, high 5 to you for trying to be helpful.
Hi to all following this thread. I was the original requestor of of “Challenges on the web dashboard” so I see all of the activity around the post. I can say that Fitbit is aware because they reclassify other related posts into this thread. For those asking about other ways to be heard - on fitbit.com, go to Community > Help Forums > Feature Suggestions Search on "challenges on web dashboard” and you will see this thread (author edunne). VOTE FOR IT
I say start flooding their facebook about it too. it's more public there. Posting on the page sure.. but most people don't see that. So start commenting about it on their posts. Just a thought.
The last few times that I have checked this board, I have noticed that you keep saying something along the lines of even thought the title of the board is get the challenges on the dashboard, the SPIRIT of the board is to give everyone access to the challenges. You also push for windows 10 users to add the app, not just the dashboard, to their computers.
As is obvious by reading the posts - many people cannot use sources other than their dashboard durring the day. Also, as I have told you before, not everyone who is using windows 10 can use the app! Also, I know of many people in my community who have been given fitbits to help with their physical well being. These are people who still use a land line ONLY for phone calls, they don't even own a flip phone, let alone a smart phone. Some of them don't even have a land line phone in their home! Most of these people can ONLY access their data when they are at the public library, a friend's home, or a relative's home! Many of them have their fitbits set to update all day. This way, when they are at the gym or anyplace else that is set up for it, their fitbit will update its steps to the database. The people then go to the library, or someplace else where they can use a computer, and check to see how well they are doing compared to others and their own history!
I now have a tablet that lets me use the app. I can see the challenges but not participate in them. There is something with the tablet that I purchased that will not allow that aspect of the program to work.
The spirit of this thread may be access to the challenges, however, over the last year I have seen many posts from people who DO HAVE ACCESS to the challenges AND STILL WANT TO SEE THEM ON THE DASHBOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are many reasons why people want to see the challenges on the dashboard and I think that the number of 900+ is actually LOWER than the actual number of people who want this. Some people I know have not taken the time to look for this forum or they saw it and didn't vote or join in. Many of them have given up on fitbit completely because the challenges are NOT on the dashboard. These people would have been loyal customers and bought other devices for themselves and relatives if the challenges were available on the dashboard. Instead they are getting devices for all of those people from other companies! By NOT having the challenges on the dashboard, fitbit has lost a lot of customers.
Also, if the challenges can only be accessed through the app, then the challenge requests should only come through the app, not email. When you get an invite to join a challenge on your computer's email, you should be able to access the challenge through your computer's main interface - THE DASHBOARD!
Clapping! Too bad they don't seem to care about it, either that or this is not the forum to get them to do it. It's ridiculous. Why do the social media/community thing if you're not going to listen to the people taking the time to post on your social media -- and if it's a community, people are trying to expand their community with Fitbit - but you're holding them back. This makes no sense.
Really, I'm just trying to get people unblocked. I am not a Fitbit developer, so I cannot implement this feature.
I'll agree with you that there are likely over 900 people who really do want this feature as challenges available on the web dashboard precisely because there are folks who simply do not log on to the forum. However, among the folks who do come to the forum, we can safely assume that given two feature requests the one with the most votes is the one that people collectively want more. So this feature (Weather App on the Blaze, 1200+ votes) is more popular than this one. We can agree on that, right?
However, I believe that my point still stands, among the 900+ people who voted for this feature, there are some of these folks who simply do not need it anymore. The feature request predates the availability of the Windows 10 Fitbit App, certainly it addresses some of these folks' needs. We can agree on that, right? So the 900+ vote figure is really lower (when comparing to other feature requests), how much lower none of us really know. Is it comparable to a feature request with 800 votes? ...700 votes? ...600 votes?
A agree with you, outside of the forums, there are more people than the number of votes on this feature who want this feature. I will not debate that. That is true about any feature request here in the forums.
However, when you evaluate the number of votes for this feature in comparison to the number of votes in other features to evaluate its popularity, we have to agree that this feature (with 944 votes) is not as popular as this feature (turn off quick view when sleeping, with 952 votes), which would otherwise be a comparable feature in terms of votes among the same population (folks who visit the forum). Since this feature has at least been partially implemented (by virtue of the Windows 10 App allowing access to challenges since the feature request was submitted), we have to at least own up to the fact that among those 944 people, some of them consider this implemented. How many of those 944 no longer need it? ...50? ...100? ...700?
Why the constant emphasis on how many people have voted for it? Who cares? If it's a worthy request wouldn't they want to do it as soon as they are aware of it? Is Fitbit so short-staffed that they are only working on improvements that get the most votes? In the time since this request was first made Fitbit has introduced at least a few new/updated devices. They obviously have the time and staffpower to expand their current lineup. If they don't think this request is worth doing, why can't they at least say so? If they need 5000 people to request it before they'll take it on, why can't they let us know that?
The true answer, I'm afraid, is that Fitbit simply has really piss-poor customer service in terms of these kinds of things. I know this partly because I am involved in a half dozen or more of these discussion threads, each about some distinct glitch in the working of the gadget or the software, and on all the threads there is the same lack of relevant response by Fitbit, with then customers pleading "why can't you just let us know what's going on with this issue?!?"
I know Fitbit is good with replacing devices that are faulty (and probably within warranty) but boy are they not-good with keeping customers informed about requested improvements and glitch-fixing. Grrr.
I can agree that this fix may not have as many votes and that the windows 10 issue helped SOME people. However, with it going on for 2 years, we should have had more feedback than "Under consideration" or "Under construction." They should have let us know what is needed to get their attention focused on this or let us know that we are SOL and should move on to a different product that does have this feature if we feel that it is important.
And, my other point still stands. The SPIRIT of the original request may have been met by the windows 10 issue, however, the ACTUAL REQUEST and what people have been requesting since you gave people the directions regarding the windows 10 path, is to have the challenges added to the DASHBOARD. You reitterating that the spirit of the issue has been taken care of so often is not helpful.
@sueb1997, the reason why the number of votes matter is because it's an indication of how many people it affects/benefits. For instance, let's say that someone submits a feature that it's a "worthy request" (your words), but benefits a very small number of users (like 5 votes), say something like... making Fitbits more accessible to blind people (either Braille display or audible stats when prompted), should it get higher priority than one that has many more requests (like the weather app on the Blaze, 1200+ votes)?
For better or worse, Fitbit typically doesn't announce anything until it is actually implemented. A good example of that is the increase of active challenges from five to ten. In fact, Fitbit was quietly working on the feature and didn't say a word until it was implemented. Just because the status doesn't change or they're not chiming in, doesn't necessarily mean that they're ignoring it nor does it mean that they're not working on it. I don't even know if there's an official status between "Under consideration" and "Implemented".
Yes, I understand that votes are a rough measure of how popular something is, and for a business of course that is relevant. But Fitbit must have some idea of how many fitbits are in use out there in total, of which I presume only a tiny proportion of people bother to engage with these discussion forums, even when they are dissatisfied with something. So once a feature or improvement is suggested, I would hope Fitbit then assesses the merit of that idea on its own, separate from how many people have actively asked for it. I mean it's reasonable to assume that X% of all Fitbit users would appreciate any given improvement. Even if that's only 1% that probably already surpasses the 900-ish votes on the help forum. And even more than that, if the improvement is a good idea, it will bring in NEW customers to Fitbit -- people who haven't bought yet but are assessing/comparing devices from different companies. That's part of what any company does, at least if they are paying attention and trying to increase their market share.
That's why I think the number of upvotes is mildly interesting but not the key measure of whether something is worth it.
Also, thanks for the info that Fitbit doesn't update between "under consideration" and "implemented". I think that's reasonable of them IF things were implemented or rejected in a reasonable time frame. But if it's going to take over two years? Then I think it's unreasonable (and piss-poor customer service, as I said) to not let their customers know. I mean, what if they decide (or decided a year and a half ago already?) not to implement this feature at all. Would they even let us know?
Pretty ironic of you to use a change in the permitted number of active challenges as an example of something Fitbit has taken action on. Those of us in this forum discussion obviously wouldn't know about that, because most of us CAN'T SEE CHALLENGES AT ALL!
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