I want to share little ephemeral messages with my family

I want to be able to share little videos and photos directly with my family. I don't want a video call. I don't want a group chat. I just want a simple app where I can leave ephemeral messages for my family.

I had recently added a few new blogs to my subscription list in NetNewsWire. This came of Matt Webb's appearance on People and Blogs. In the section about recommending some other blogs, Matt redirected to his post of 10 recommendations.

Of these, while going through the website of Robin Sloan, I came across (among other things) - An app can be a home-cooked meal.

In it, Robin talks about building an app for use of just his family. He talked about a few things.

The exhortation “learn to code” has its foundations in market value. “Learn to code” is suggested as a way up, a way out. “Learn to code” offers economic leverage, professional transformation. “Learn to code” goes on your resume.

I have so many times tried to pick up coding. I completed Learn Python the Hard Way. I made a game. But it never went anywhere. While reading the colophon, I came across Buttondown again (they offer free email for upto 100 subscribers) and was tempted again to mave my own hand-crafted static website.

Robin suggests a less pressure inducing learn to cook.

People don’t only learn to cook so they can become chefs. Some do! But many more people learn to cook so they can eat better, or more affordably. Because they want to carry on a tradition. Sometimes they learn because they’re bored! Or even because they enjoy spending time with the person who’s teaching them.

I love also the idea of the app. I love the idea of sending a video or picture message to your family. I am trying to see if I could implement a version of it on our family Whatsapp group. I know, I know, I could ask ChatGPT to help me create this app. But how would distribution work.

This is another thing that this app store model does not allow. Building fun little things that you can just share.

Tangentially related to what I wrote about earlier in why are there no good family only socials.