

Ask HN: Please review my webapp http://cineight.com - yousuffauzan

I developed this app so that my friends and I can recommend movies to each other. I have also added movie list management, so one can maintain a list of movies watched, to watch, and filtered. There is a Feedback section in the app too. I would really appreciate if you guys could leave your reviews there also.
======
zoudini
I found the some of the terms confusing... "My Recommendations" I thought
would mean movies that were recommended FOR me not BY me. Also Movies To Watch
is ambiguous and same for Movies filtered. The tooltip popups when you
mouseover help but the button names should be self-explanatory. Also, as far
as the UI/UX is concerned, maybe color-coding them would make the buttons more
'intuitive'.

Also, while I understand the primary aim of your site is to let users manage
their lists/recommendations, this feels a lot like 'expert-mode'. I myself
would love an 'easy-mode' wehre I could get my automatic recommendations from
other sources (implementing your own may recommender is probably not worth it
at this point and would suffer from a cold-start) but ALSO be able to manage
them at the same time (recommend to friends/filter/etc).

Also, maybe this may work well with a Facebook/Twitter integration (like tweet
that I just watched such and such movie).

Also, as much as game mechanics have been played out, I think it would
definitely be useful to have a system for ranking/rating people who make
recommendations. You could create experts (if you want to rip off 4sq et. al,
you could make people experts by awarding badges for things like watching 10
horror movies or making 100 successful recommendations that people watched).

All in all, I think it has the beginnings of a good product.

~~~
yousuffauzan
I will change the titles of each tab. Just need to come up with better names.
Facebook/Twitter integration is on the card. I am still thinking about their
possible use. Thanks zoudini.

------
marcojelli
I'm an avid movie watcher. I like the idea of getting specialized suggestions
in a way that is more familiar/easily tailored than my current methods:
blockbuster & netflix ratings. However, for new releases, my best bet is fan
buzz through Fandango. My question: Is there a way to smartly aggregate some
of these sources and tie in with a facebook API? Or maybe to link up with
fandango or groupon to facilitate a commercial revenue model? Or API with
facebook and foursquare so that when people check in it automatically allows
them to rate movies and let their friends know. A further step would be
allowing the most active users to be 'followed' by those interested in movie
reviews by a group with similar tastes but is not interested in maintaining
their own group. - Random Ideas. I hope you find some of this constructive.

~~~
yousuffauzan
Awesome! I made this app cause I always feel a need of knowing which movie to
watch next. So instead of asking my friends every time I meet them about the
movies they have recently watched, I thought this would be a better idea.

One of the things that I realized was that I value recommendations of only a
small group of people. Someone may have liked a movie that I also do, but that
does not mean I can trust their recos. Hence, a model which lets me actively
add people to my list of recommenders.

I would certainly keep improving the app and integrate it with other useful
services.

Thanks a lot for the feedback. I appreciate it.

------
wihon
Other than a short sentence on the homepage, there's no information about the
site that you can access before signing up. The fact that you have to register
before knowing anything will, I imagine, put off many potential users. They
(and I) wanna know what they're agreeing to!

Edit: I think you should add some more info (maybe some screenshots, a
lengthier description and some privacy stuff?), basically!

~~~
yousuffauzan
I will get working on this. Thanks

------
dzlobin
<http://www.cineight.com> Clickable link.

I agree with lzw though, you need a better landing page.

~~~
yousuffauzan
I have added some more info to the landing page, plus I plan to add
screenshots etc to help the user understand what the app is about. However, I
wish to keep it plain and simple. That is till I start getting more
complaints.

~~~
RossM
In my opinion on the landing page you should have two sentences saying what
the app does - what problem it solves. Your registration form is short so keep
that in a box to the right - login can go in a popup or on another page though
right? Screenshots are good if it's obvious what is happening. The UI isn't
loading properly for me at the moment but it looks fairly small and complex. I
couldn't tell what was going on anyway.

------
minalecs
I think how you find people needs a lot of work. Every time I add a movie, I
should be able to see who else watched it or added it, and be able to see the
other movies they've added or watched. At this time , its impossible to find
users without first knowing who they are.

~~~
yousuffauzan
Yes. It wasn't in my original plan, but as this thing shaped up, I realize it
must be added. So, just wait for a small while, and I will surely add better
user discovery. Of course, any and all suggestions will be much appreciated

------
hugopeixoto
You have the Movies Watched / Movies to Watch labels mixed up.

~~~
yousuffauzan
Fixed. Thanks for pointing that out.

~~~
rjbond3rd
Also I think you need to swap these labels when you click "How does this
work?":

Movies To Watch - Movies that you have watched...

Movies Watched - Movies that you want to watch

~~~
yousuffauzan
:) Thanks for pointing that out.

------
lzw
No insult meant, but you lsot me at the home screen. The first thing you do is
ask for sign up or login.... I have no idea how your app works whether ill
want to visit it again or whether I even trust you, so I'm not going to start
my experience by giving you info.

I see a lot of sites make this mistake. If you can't put people right into the
functionality of the app so that they can play with it themselves, then give
them a search box or at least tour of the app, epmhasising that it is free, to
entice them to create an account.

~~~
yousuffauzan
Fair point. I will add some more info.

~~~
makmanalp
More info doesn't matter. Add a "try it now" box or something.

~~~
yousuffauzan
I have added a demo account now. Visit cineight.com again. You will find the
credentials of demo user there.

Thanks for pointing that out.

~~~
fezzl
That's still likely to deter a lot of people. It should be one-click; there
should be no need for any copy and paste.

~~~
yousuffauzan
Ok. I will implement that then. Today

