4 ms·

Review our app: IntentBox (London Startup Weekend)

8 points by ig1 17y ago

We just built this app this weekend, we didn't manage to get full facebook integration. But the site works as a self-contained app. Our site: http://intentbox.com

notauser 17y ago
Please don't look too closely at the code, there are some things in there that need a bit of refactoring :-)
rs 17y ago
Clickable link: http://intentbox.com http://intentbox.com
- notauser 17y ago
  Project start - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=954556 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=954556
SlyShy 17y ago
One thing I noticed right away is: I entered in what I wanted to do, and I'm instantly prompted to register. Fair enough, this is a common pattern. But after I've registered, the thing I entered in already isn't listed, and I have to re-enter it. I was very much expecting that information to carry over. I can't speak for everyone, but this doesn't solve a problem I've ever had, and it doesn't seem any more useful than an email or Facebook status update.
- kee2ka4 17y ago
  thank you for pointing this out.. we are currently fixing it.. much much appreciated!
- notauser 17y ago
  Fix released and tested, it should now retain your activity when you create an account :-)
- ig1 17y ago
  Regarding versus Facebook status. Facebook status will move very fast. If you post "I want to go and see Batman" in a couple of days time everyone will have forgotten about it. This keeps track over time. Initially we planned it to have tight facebook integration but the facebook api proved to be an enormous pain, so we cut our losses to built what we could build in a weekend. Also we wanted an android/iphone front end which would be good for realtime activities (i.e I want to go to the pub this evening) but again it was a time thing.
  - zackham 17y ago
    A nice value add over what you can already do by just posting a Facebook status update / shooting out a message on Twitter would be to do a time-delayed push of the message. If I know I want to go shoot pool tomorrow night, put that on your site, shoot it out over Facebook/Twitter/whatever with a link back to your site, then if I haven't created plans, push out a 'last chance' status update that is closer to the time when I want to go do whatever it is I wanted to do. More generically, I can see value in choosing a strategy to publish information at some future time and not having to do it manually.
dominic 17y ago
Would be really useful if it automatically added my facebook friends list
adamcrowe 17y ago
I really like the idea behind this. Best of luck. I'd prefer an OAuth twitter integration.
tptacek 17y ago
"I built this app in a weekend" + need to register to see anything = bounce. Make it easier.
- ig1 17y ago
  You don't have to sign-up with an email address, you can just pick an arbitrary username which isn't taken and hit signup.
  - tptacek 17y ago
    Yeah, my brain is hardwired by everyone else's signups to bounce on screens like that. Maybe it can be made clearer that there's no big signup required? Even picking a password is friction.
    - deleted 17y ago
      [deleted]
AndrewDucker 17y ago
It's a neat idea. Any chance of OpenID support rather than requiring signup? Oh, and the ability to link to an intention from elsewhere. I'd love to be able to link to it from my LJ.
- notauser 17y ago
  As a quick hack you can link directly to an intention by clicking on it and then copying the URL. (This is fixable and should be no problem however).
pkc 17y ago
Isn't it similar to 43things.com?

8 points by ig1 17y ago

We just built this app this weekend, we didn't manage to get full facebook integration. But the site works as a self-contained app. Our site: http://intentbox.com

notauser 17y ago

Please don't look too closely at the code, there are some things in there that need a bit of refactoring :-)

rs 17y ago

Clickable link: http://intentbox.com http://intentbox.com

notauser 17y ago
Project start - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=954556 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=954556

SlyShy 17y ago

One thing I noticed right away is: I entered in what I wanted to do, and I'm instantly prompted to register. Fair enough, this is a common pattern. But after I've registered, the thing I entered in already isn't listed, and I have to re-enter it. I was very much expecting that information to carry over. I can't speak for everyone, but this doesn't solve a problem I've ever had, and it doesn't seem any more useful than an email or Facebook status update.

kee2ka4 17y ago
thank you for pointing this out.. we are currently fixing it.. much much appreciated!
notauser 17y ago
Fix released and tested, it should now retain your activity when you create an account :-)
ig1 17y ago
Regarding versus Facebook status. Facebook status will move very fast. If you post "I want to go and see Batman" in a couple of days time everyone will have forgotten about it. This keeps track over time. Initially we planned it to have tight facebook integration but the facebook api proved to be an enormous pain, so we cut our losses to built what we could build in a weekend. Also we wanted an android/iphone front end which would be good for realtime activities (i.e I want to go to the pub this evening) but again it was a time thing.
- zackham 17y ago
  A nice value add over what you can already do by just posting a Facebook status update / shooting out a message on Twitter would be to do a time-delayed push of the message. If I know I want to go shoot pool tomorrow night, put that on your site, shoot it out over Facebook/Twitter/whatever with a link back to your site, then if I haven't created plans, push out a 'last chance' status update that is closer to the time when I want to go do whatever it is I wanted to do. More generically, I can see value in choosing a strategy to publish information at some future time and not having to do it manually.

dominic 17y ago

Would be really useful if it automatically added my facebook friends list

adamcrowe 17y ago

I really like the idea behind this. Best of luck. I'd prefer an OAuth twitter integration.

tptacek 17y ago

"I built this app in a weekend" + need to register to see anything = bounce. Make it easier.

ig1 17y ago
You don't have to sign-up with an email address, you can just pick an arbitrary username which isn't taken and hit signup.
- tptacek 17y ago
  Yeah, my brain is hardwired by everyone else's signups to bounce on screens like that. Maybe it can be made clearer that there's no big signup required? Even picking a password is friction.
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]

AndrewDucker 17y ago

It's a neat idea. Any chance of OpenID support rather than requiring signup? Oh, and the ability to link to an intention from elsewhere. I'd love to be able to link to it from my LJ.

notauser 17y ago
As a quick hack you can link directly to an intention by clicking on it and then copying the URL. (This is fixable and should be no problem however).

pkc 17y ago

Isn't it similar to 43things.com?