

Show HN: Rate All The Things - liquid_x
http://rateallthethings.com/

======
jc4p
As much as I love tools named after memes, I don't understand the purpose of
this at all.

Maybe it's just that the website is two sentences so I don't see the use of
the product. Do you plan on displaying the information by users and making a
social network out of it? Do you plan on monetizing it? Was this just an
application you made while learning to program Java and wanted to show off
your accomplishment?

What's the story here?

~~~
its_so_on
I don't mean to be snarky, but I think this is what's called a "minimum viable
product" or MVP around here. It's the smallest thing that does something you
can explain. In this example it's "on android, download this app, and anything
that has a barcode, you can scan and give 1-5 stars." Other times it's "email
us a URL and when the contents there change -- for example someone replied to
a comment you left on that page -- we'll email you back". Actually brb this is
gold!!!

basically, the way to think about mvp's, is it's the "done is better than
perfect" equivalent of a proof of concept. Whereas in the old days, someone
would innovate and then put out a proof of concept, these days we skip the
innovation stage and put out a proof of...ability to put a database app
together? I dunno exactly. Sorry about the snarkiness here, I just think there
is life outside of this particular bubble.

~~~
liquid_x
yeah, minimum viable product, just to see if i'm on the right path

~~~
jc4p
What's the rest of your path? What plans do you have for this? Sorry I'm being
so inquisitive but I'm an Android programmer and also an active seeker of new
Android employees for my place of work, so it confuses me to see something
like this with zero additional information.

------
ChrisNorstrom
I ran into 11 issues: Most of them UX/UI problems. (surprise! I'm a UX/UI
Designer)

1) I could NOT find your app when I searched for it, I had to finally type in
your name and then the app came up in the marketplace, that's not your fault
but hopefully it gets fixed. Maybe the mobile version of the app store didn't
have it's search index updated or something.

2) It asked me to create an account, I almost exited the app. "Oh great", I
thought, "another username and password". But it was actually very simple, you
should change the screen so that it doesn't scare people away like that. All
it took was to enter my email. So instead of having a button that says create
account and sign in. Just have some text with "Create Account" and underneath
it the text boxes for your email and password. And underneath that, a text
that says "Sign in" and the text box(es) for email (and password).

3) It asked me to install Bar Code scanner. I already HAVE a bar code scanner
app. Red Laser. I don't want to install another.

I thought to myself, too annoying, screw this. (exactly what a normal user
would do) And uninstalled the app. I felt bad and re installed it to at least
fully try it out before giving feedback.

4) When I tried to sign in it asked me for a password. "WTF?", I thought, I
never gave it a password. At the top of the screen it says "If you don't know
your password please visit the website" but your website doesn't have anything
about my password just a tiny hidden password reset link. That's when I
realized your app EMAILS me my password when I sign up. I ran to my email
inbox but nothing... This isn't good. I think it's a very bad way of handling
accounts. Never give me a password, let me choose my own, It's hard enough for
me to remember my own passwords, let alone the ones other people give me. You
need to redo this entire userflow.

5)I used the reset password feature and I got an email (in my junk folder) and
no joke, it said my new password was "tg6H5FZl0kUxmoAL7pVQ". Why do you hate
me so much? Are you a troll? lol. That was NOT easy to type in my phone.
Entering Windows serial keys was easier (at least they were in all caps)

7) The next screen was just hideous. tiny text boxes, right aligned buttons of
different lengths (please make them all at least one length), bad wording. No
no no. "Update Barcode" needs to be changed to "save edit". In fact I
shouldn't even see these text boxes. When I scan an item the Item name should
be white and normal sized (like it currently is) and the manufacturer should
be slightly grayer and slightly smaller so it doesn't distract the eye. I
would recommend NOT allowing customers to update the UPC info. This is ripe
for abuse. People are going to give objects racist, perverted names. You'd
have people scanning and renaming Xbox 360s to "ShitBox 360", PSP to "Piece of
Shit Portable", grape juice to "Nigger Juice", Gatorade Frost to "Cum Water",
packages of fake nails to "Bitch Talons". Oh jeez I've heard it all. Then
again, if your audience is the college crowd they'd probably love this.

8) Rating should be done with a slider UI, all the way left is 1 all the way
right is 5. Six stars is not needed I think. It's one star too many. Just have
1-5. And actually use stars, not numbers. Your icon for the app is a star but
you don't even use star ratings. Tsk tsk tsk. When you display ratings try to
use some kind of images, stars, visuals, not cold emotionless numbers.

9) Once I rate an item I can't change it, not even right after I rate it. So
if I accidentally hit the wrong button I can't fix it. That's not good.

10) I have to hit a button "Display Comments" to see comments. I don't like
that. Comments should be shown by default if possible. Most people are
consumers not creators. They're probably here to read, not write, if there's
nothing to read then they'll probably feel encouraged to rate and write. Show
the 3-5 latest comments with a 100% width button at the bottom with "Show All
7 Comments"

11) Displaying comments is also illogical. I rated a bottle of juice "5" and
left a short comment, but when I read my rating on the comments screen it
doesn't show my rating next to my comment.

Everything works, it's just badly designed, furthering my theory of "Good
programmers are bad at UX/UI". Other than that good work, you have a lot to
fix up but it's very doable. Sorry for being an ass, I don't have aspergers,
I'm just going through another one of my weekly, "where the hell am I going in
life" depressions.

~~~
liquid_x
Thanks :)

------
josegonzalez
So this is like jot.ly, but with barcodes, correct?

