Forem: Devan B

The Dev Industry Talks🗣️About Accessibility, But It’s Built to Exclude 🚫Mobile Developers!

Devan B — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 07:30:58 +0000

Introduction😤

If you’re a mobile-only developer, GitHub is horrid. The entire experience is built for PC users 💻, and the more you try to make it work on mobile, the clearer it becomes: this industry preaches accessibility while actively ignoring it.😬🫠

They talk about clean code, ease of use, and beginner-friendly tools—but if you don’t have a PC 💻, you’re locked out. GitHub, a tool that’s supposedly essential for every developer, treats mobile 📱 as an afterthought. The app is useless, the website assumes you have a keyboard and mouse🖱️, and there's zero adaptability for people working from their phones📱 much less those with real disabilities♿👁️, one can only assume though.

The Reality of Mobile Dev Workflows

The GitHub app is pointless. 🤦🏼‍♂️ You can’t meaningfully edit, commit, or push updates very well. It’s just a fancy repo manager.
The website straight-up assumes you’re on a PC.💻 Instructions constantly refer to keyboard shortcuts, desktop workflows, and tools you don’t have access to. There’s no clear guidance for mobile users and YouTube tutorials are even worse at this mind you.💬🧠
Workarounds ⚒️ are the only option. To use Git properly on mobile, you have to install third-party clients, fight 👊 with file management, and jump through ridiculous hoops—just to do something a PC user can do in seconds.
The industry refuses to acknowledge this problem.🙅🏿Everyone just says “get a laptop” instead of recognizing that mobile devs exist and deserve proper tools.🔧🔬🔨

The Larger Issue: Dev Tools Are Built to Exclude

This isn’t just a GitHub problem—it’s the entire dev world. Everyone says "coding is for everyone!" but then:

"Use this tool!" → Only works on PC.

"Just install this!" → Not available for mobile.🙄

"Follow this tutorial!" → Assumes a desktop workflow.🤦🏼‍♂️

"Learn the best practices!" → But only after you learn the wrong way first.🤫

They tell beginners to “just build things” 🫢🫣 then they gatekeep the very tools needed to do that. They tell you to write code however you understand it, only to turn around and tell you that way is completely wrong once you've already built a habit around it😑🤨. The learning process is backward, inefficient, and filled with unnecessary obstacles. 🏋️

This Industry is Built on Hypocrisy

Developers talk endlessly about:

"Making tech more accessible."

"Creating beginner-friendly environments."

"Lowering barriers to entry."

But then they actively use and defend tools that make it harder for newcomers.👈 They refuse to acknowledge that mobile-first developers even exist, let alone deserve proper support.⬆️🏗️

What Needs to Change

GitHub (and other essential tools) must actually support mobile users. Not just repo management—real functionality.

Dev tools need to stop

assuming every user has a PC. Mobile-first workflows exist. They should be treated as valid.

The industry needs to practice what it preaches. If coding is truly for everyone, make it actually accessible—not just in theory, but in execution.

Final Thoughts 💭

The dev world is full of contradictions. They talk about inclusivity, but they lock out an entire group of developers just because they’re on mobile. They say “just use GitHub,” while making it impossible to use GitHub properly without a computer.

If you’re struggling with this, you’re not alone. The industry refuses to acknowledge this issue but, that doesn’t mean it’s not real.

And to every developer who’s ever dismissed this issue with “just get a PC” you are the reason this problem exists.

This post was written in part with the help of ChatGPT. These are my words, thoughts, feelings, and experiences—ChatGPT simply helped me format, expand, and make them more readable. If you have a problem with that, move on respectfully.

As always thanks for reading and I'm always open to real criticism and conversations on the topic.

My Project Journey

Devan B — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 05:51:15 +0000

What inspired Me to start this project as a solo dev on mobile?

I've always wanted to do something in tech or electronics, but I needed something accessible—something I could truly be passionate about, not just for the lifestyle but for the work itself. That led me to coding. Once I realized the possibilities of building things for myself and others, I knew I wanted to create something unique that actually served a purpose.

The idea started as a guide to the internet but shifted into a character hub—focusing on deep dives into characters and their differences across media. However, I realized the internet guide was beyond my scope for now, so I reevaluated. Who was this for? What problem was I solving?

That’s when FanArcs was born (sort of, nothing is techinally official yet). It evolved into a place that aims and plans to blend deep-dive analysis with fan culture—a site that explores worlds, characters, and lore while also supporting fanfiction, fan art, and community engagement. Creators keep ownership of their work, newcomers to fandoms can find their footing, and readers, writers, and lore enthusiasts get a fun, engaging, and well-organized space to explore the things they love.

What’s been the biggest challenge working on FanArcs as a solo dev?

A lot—seriously, a lot. First, I had to learn how to code in general. I originally started with Python because of its practicality and wide range of uses, but as a beginner, that was a rough start. The learning curve was steep, so I pivoted to web development with HTML and CSS. That shift helped reshape my mindset, even though CSS alone gave me plenty of WTF? moments.

No one really masters CSS—it’s too vast. But instead of just memorizing things, I focused on understanding why something works (or doesn’t) rather than just how to do it. That shift made it easier to troubleshoot issues, use snippets effectively, and make better use of AI and other tools.

On top of that, finding a tech stack that worked for both my device and my workflow was a whole process. I cycled through at least half a dozen tools before landing on something functional. Then, of course, there’s everything else—web standards, accessibility, content creation, image handling... Tackling all of this as a one-person team has been overwhelming, but I keep pushing through.

What keeps you motivated to continue working on FanArcs despite the challenges?

It’s the only time I’ve ever felt like I’m truly contributing to something meaningful. FanArcs isn’t just a project—it’s something that can genuinely help fandoms, creators, and artists. It’s my way of setting a new standard for what people should expect from a site, even if it’s built by just one person and isn’t perfect at first.

I’m not a rocket scientist, I don’t know machine learning, and I’m not creating life-altering software. But other people out there are—and those are the people we should strive to be like. So I’m doing that the best way I know how.

I’m taking platforms like Fandom and AO3 and bringing them into the present with a fresh perspective—one that understands what it’s like to be at the mercy of big companies and the tools they control. There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about the idea itself, but at its core, I’m just trying to re-humanize creation and the internet again.

What makes FanArcs different from existing platforms like Fandom or AO3?

Hopefully? Everything. By the time this project is built the way I envision it, I want FanArcs to stand apart in every way—search, filters, accessibility, accountability, monetization, ease of use, depth, and community.

Of course, I’d like to profit from my work, but not by making it the only option or locking basic features behind paywalls. I’m not Jeff Bezos running Amazon, nor Elon Musk with Tesla—I’m just one person trying to build something the way it should have been done from the start.

I can’t put my name on something I don’t stand behind. And right now, that name is all I have.

In Conclusion..
First off, thank you if you’ve made it this far. It means a lot that someone out there can relate or is willing to understand my struggles, no matter how "first world" they may seem. If you’re in a similar position, have tips or tricks to share, or maybe even want to help out with the project, feel free to reach out, comment, or connect in whichever way works best for you. Again, thank you so much for reading! 🙏

Can we all agree. Our tech forefathers kinda screwed us?

Devan B — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 23:07:58 +0000

I'm going to keep this pretty brief and straightforward honestly. I think the tech landscape is awful. Yes there is Alot of good coming from, however between, APIs, legalities, guidelines, privacy policies, coding environments and hardware, the giants with tech ecosystems, the diluted-ness of tech posts and the fragmentation of tech disscussions is awful in my opinion. I really think we as creators, designers and people most importantly, Should be taking a firmer stand in trying to solidify the tech landscape instead of bowing down to the current system.

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it...

Hey guys!👋

Devan B — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 04:13:01 +0000

Nice to be apart of the community everyone, My pe
rsonal website is up and I'd love your guy's feedback on it!

devscleari.carrd.co to find it!