Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Introducing Pulse for Web

pulse.me

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 39 posts

Re: Introducing Pulse for Web

#11

Post by cristinacordova »

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #8
cristinacordova wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We require accounts on web for things like news source recommendations and notifications for when we release new features. If you create an account, your sources will also sync across platforms like Android, iPad, iPhone, etc. Our mobile apps do not require sign-in, however, so feel free to download those from our homepage: http://www.pulse.me/

> notifications for when we release new features The real reason. This should be explained on the site.

We don't send frequent emails - we haven't emailed our user base in months - until today about this launch. If users don't have an account, they can't have a consistent experience across platforms. A good user experience is our top priority here.

Re: Introducing Pulse for Web

#12

Post by shurane »

cristinacordova wrote: post #11
MatthewPhillips wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> notifications for when we release new features The real reason. This should be explained on the site.

We don't send frequent emails - we haven't emailed our user base in months - until today about this launch. If users don't have an account, they can't have a consistent experience across platforms. A good user experience is our top priority here.

What about being able to at least preview the service without needing an account? We can do that already on the app version, before we decide to sign up with Pulse.

Signing up is an extra step, and a little too much, for a product that I want to field test before I decide I want to use it.

Re: Introducing Pulse for Web

#13

Post by darklajid »

I'm sure I'm not the target. The window is - empty? [1]

Ghostery informed me that it had to block Facebook Connect, but this surely isn't the intended landing page, even if I _do_ hate Facebook crap? I mean - I could at least use the links above and see the about page, but for a landing page this is kind of baad.

1: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1194203/Pulse.png

Re: Introducing Pulse for Web

#14

Post by chimi »

cristinacordova wrote: post #11
MatthewPhillips wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> notifications for when we release new features The real reason. This should be explained on the site.

We don't send frequent emails - we haven't emailed our user base in months - until today about this launch. If users don't have an account, they can't have a consistent experience across platforms. A good user experience is our top priority here.

Look, it's your app, you can do what you want with it, but you're losing potential users with this requirement -- end of story.

Re: Introducing Pulse for Web

#16

Post by gankit »

chimi wrote: post #2

There is no need to force me to create an account to use this service. Have a list of supported news sites and let me pick the ones I want to see, then save a bookmark to the page. Requiring an account is a back button.

The only way to reliably save your subscriptions (so that you can open pulse and see them instantly) is the have an account and save it on our servers.

Re: Introducing Pulse for Web

#18

Post by smectos »

darklajid wrote: post #13

I'm sure I'm not the target. The window is - empty? [1] Ghostery informed me that it had to block Facebook Connect, but this surely isn't the intended landing page, even if I _do_ hate Facebook crap? I mean - I could at least use the links above and see the about page, but for a landing page this is kind of baad. 1: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1194203/Pulse.png

Same problem. Chromium Version 21.0.1180.75 (150248) on 3.5.0-2-ARCH

L.E: Unblock Facebook connect in Ghostery.

Re: Introducing Pulse for Web

#19

Post by yajoe »

cristinacordova wrote: post #11
MatthewPhillips wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> notifications for when we release new features The real reason. This should be explained on the site.

We don't send frequent emails - we haven't emailed our user base in months - until today about this launch. If users don't have an account, they can't have a consistent experience across platforms. A good user experience is our top priority here.

Congrats on shipping, and thank you for being part of the community.

I would also second the feedback that requiring an email is undesirable. I know you are doing it so you can count reach and demographics easier and eventually sell those eyeballs or market research. We all need to eat. I get it. However! There is fatigue from needing to log into free services, especially when there are alternatives racing to the bottom with less friction.

You may grow your userbase faster by encouraging early adopters like those who visit this site to use the product. I also believe that the sign-up stopped >50% of the CTRs. I would recommend removing the requirement to sign-up now. Just $0.02 from yet another joe on the internet... :)

Re: Introducing Pulse for Web

#20

Post by gddr »

darklajid wrote: post #13

I'm sure I'm not the target. The window is - empty? [1] Ghostery informed me that it had to block Facebook Connect, but this surely isn't the intended landing page, even if I _do_ hate Facebook crap? I mean - I could at least use the links above and see the about page, but for a landing page this is kind of baad. 1: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1194203/Pulse.png

Indeed, blocking Facebook Connect or disabling Javascript makes the page show empty (on all browsers).
Post reply on HN