We are about to launch hoot.com through Facebook friends, which we figure will reach approximately 5000 people immediately. Before we do, I thought that HN would be a good place to ask for feedback and comments.
Requiring a user to type in a zip code for the registration is awkward when all that is required is a country (and zip codes only apply to the united states).
I like how it find matches for products that have already been entered when you submit a new one, but it seems that only the first submission will set the product's URL and description, which is what most people will see when they view an item.
Also, it's not obvious at first what URL should be submitted for a product. I wanted to add 'Blast Corps.', but still am not sure what should be done for a product no longer in retail.
What's the point? Am I going to win any of these items, or earn a discount? Or is this the internet equivalent of window shopping? Seems like a complete waste of time to me. Sorry :-/
edit: it's the window-shopping that I don't get. The implementation of the idea looks great, I just fail to understand why anyone would engage in this activity to begin with.
I like how it find matches for products that have already been entered when you submit a new one, but it seems that only the first submission will set the product's URL and description, which is what most people will see when they view an item.
Also, it's not obvious at first what URL should be submitted for a product. I wanted to add 'Blast Corps.', but still am not sure what should be done for a product no longer in retail.