

Show HN: Recently Read - The easiest way to share a good book with your friends - andrewcross
http://apps.facebook.com/recentlyread

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simonsarris
I think I will like the idea, but: You want permission before I even see what
the heck the app does?

Before I say yes, what differentiates the app from the Goodreads app?

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andrewcross
It's a native Facebook app that's designed to be simple. No extra fluff, just
easy to use.

Example screenshot here: [http://www.andrewcross.ca/wp-
content/uploads/2011/07/Screen-...](http://www.andrewcross.ca/wp-
content/uploads/2011/07/Screen-shot-2011-07-10-at-5.32.48-PM.png)

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angryasian
i think you place way too much importance on being a facebook app. The only
difference from developer pov is that one is in an iframe and one isn't. Just
create both. You can have one with a nice homepage, screenshots, and
explanations why its different. Right now as is, I wouldn't sign up.

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wschuurman
The reason it's a fbook app and not a standalone website (at least to start)
is that we can piggyback on social networks of friends that facebook has
already created. This would make the 'Friends Recommendations' section hard to
duplicate on a regular site. A standalone site is definitely a possibility in
the future though.

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norova
When clicking the link to the app I am greeted with a Facebook page requesting
to disable secure browsing:

    
    
      "We can't display this content while you're viewing Facebook over a secure connection (https)"
    

Unfortunately this makes it a no-go for me.

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andrewcross
Fair enough, I'm sure you can understand wanting to get feedback on an idea
before investing in SSL.

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norova
By investing, I'm not sure if you're referring to the amount of time, or the
monetary cost. If the latter, there are legitimate free SSL certs available. I
am unable to think of the one which is most highly recommended around here,
but a Google search should turn up something useful.

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razzberry28
My main issue is when you want to add multiple books.

After entering one book, you're presented with the standard "Share/Skip"
dialog box. But after closing it, you're left on a summary of the book you
just entered with no options to add more books. In order to add another book,
you first need to click Home to get to the "Add Recommendation" button.

After entering a book, it should probably either take you directly back to the
Home screen or give you an option to continue adding books. The extra click
gets annoying.

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wschuurman
I agree. Thanks for pointing this out!

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reso
Cool idea. How long did you guys work on this, with what size of a team? I'm
thinking about getting into FB apps so I'm just curious.

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andrewcross
I designed it and my friend coded it. Total working time maybe 30-40 hours?

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kirkfournier
The book purchase process needs a recommendation system, finally it's here.

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BenSS
What makes this better than Goodreads?

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andrewcross
1) It's a native Facebook app 2) Goodreads has a lot of extra features that
clunk up the interface, this is about as simple and easy to use as you can
get. For you, this probably isn't a big deal, but for your less-tech savvy
friends, it could mean the difference between using it and not using it.

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andrewcross
Looking for feedback if anyone has some! Just post here please.

