Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
1–10 of 28 posts
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#2Initial thought: I like this idea. I might actually use it.
I tried it out. The robot voice is a bit hard to understand, but I doubt there's much you can do about it.
I signed on at the website and tried to enter the phone number in the format XXX-XXX-XXXX and it failed to log me in. When I removed the dashes it worked fine. Weird?
Also, on Firefox 3/Ubuntu, the 'add to cart' link goes onto the second line (overlapping 'delete') and didn't seem to do anything when I clicked it.
When I deleted an item, it was gone and there's no obvious way to get it back.
You might want to allow people to add items to their cart from the web interface somehow (paste link to Amazon page?)
The website's favicon is very weird.
Cool idea!
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#3I like the idea. I am probably a member of your exact target market: I often wander into a bookstore or library to kill time, but don't always have a notepad with me to jot down titles that look interesting. If I had an iPhone I'd use Amazon's app, but I don't.
I could barely understand the synthesized voice (there was a lot of hissing and other artifacts when I called; I'm nearly certain they weren't on my end of the connection).
I tried a few ISBN's of books I recently purchased on Amazon and fonefu found all 3 titles, but it only gave a price on the one that was available directly from Amazon. I don't know if this is intentional on your part, or a limitation of whatever Amazon API you are using, or what. At any rate perhaps you could make the limitation more clear?
When I went back to the website, I typed my phone number in the 555-555-5555 format like the example. However my login attempt was rejected a few times before I thought to try 5555555555 instead.
As a non-Friendfeed user I am left wondering why Amazon wishlists aren't also supported as an export target. Maybe another API limitation (not your fault)?
I'm going to add the 877 number to my phonebook - if the voice becomes easier to understand I may become a regular user.
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#4Firstly, as always, congrats for making this happen so far. Two things pop out for me:
1) The brand, url etc is all about Phones and nothing about Books. Do you plan to expand the service into other areas? Because right now it sounds like it will cut your phone bill in half, not your next Malcolm Gladwell purchase.
2) As phones evolve, will your target market be dwindling. Can I go online with my current phone and look up Amazon while I'm in the bookstore? If I can, why would I call you? If I can't, surely it won't be long before I can - and then, why would I call you?
But hey, you've got a revenue model, so who am I to question the niche you seem to be servicing.
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#5I enjoyed being able to clearly learn what your product does in 4 easy steps.
However, step 1 (No registration required) is not a step. It told me what not to do, which is confusing. I recommend making it "how it works" in 3 steps, with a bubble or callout saying "no registration required!"
Also, step 4 made me think I should buy the books in the store, which is exactly what you don't want them to do... The icon (books in shopping cart) and words "Purchase your books" don't clearly tell me to drive home empty handed.
I like the concept, would definitely check it out if I was more of a frugal shopper, but I often just buy in store to have the instant gratification.
congrats on getting this out there! That's a great accomplishment in itself
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#6This seems like just the type of app Twilio was built to be built upon. Are you guys using their API, or something you rolled on your own?
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#7First thought about the name: Phone-f*ck-you
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#8Two thoughts:
1. You might want to tell the user of other books similar to the one she queried for (this could be a reason to call, simply because the user wants to see more books of th esame kind in the store).
2. There should be a reverse service too; which lets you browse books at the store depending on what you looked at Amazon from home.
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#9First thought about the name: Phone-f*ck-you
'FoneFu' - That's actually a pretty geeky name. Coz I've noticed scripts with the .fu extension (GIMP plugins i think have .fu extensions)
I too have such a domain name ending with 'fu'. sounds fancy but sometimes the kind of expansion you said strikes my mind. So I never used my domain name.
My app was supposed to be 'JaxFu' and acronym as Jax's Friend Updater but when i thought of that 'fu' part, i didn't take chances so i changed the name.
B/w this app has a lot of potential. I would choose to dial a few digits and enter the ISBN and get the price than to open my phone's browser, go to Amazon, search for the book and find the price (and then glance thru the page to find out which is the price for the new edition and a used book).
Re: Ask HN: Please provide feedback for fonefu.com
#10Just an idea. Could you extend this so that I could send a text with an ISBN number or numbers and you would return a text with the prices.
I hate the idea of trying to hear a robotic voice in a busy store and then having to write the price down on the back of my hand while holding the phone in my third hand.