Okay, since I just remembered (due to the Facebook app topic), some people were asking why the Flixster app is named "Movies" and not "Flixster" on Facebook.
(Ji Wei says Kah Hong has sort of covered it in a response to his blog entry soo I'm small-ifying this)
It seems really dumb, since people wanting to find Flixster on Facebook would have difficulty. But it makes sense if you think about it.
So, let me pose a question: Why is, like, movies.com worth more than flixster.com? Ya? I think some of you will have got it now, especially after Chewy's presentation. It's all about perspective. We are thinking like people who know Flixster exists. But Facebook on Flixster is more of an advertising platform, to get more people who don't know about it to know about it (sorry about my awkward phrasing), and less so (I'm not saying it's not) for it's existing users. It is nearly impossible for the many more people who don't know about Flixster to search "Flixster" - but those who have an interest in movies will search --? Yeah, "movies", because it's a common word we are all aware of, and therefore worth more. And through that, they will get redirected to the Flixster app and know, ohhh Flixster will be my one stop for movie info.
At least, that's my rationale :P.
>>Kah Hong also mentioned that he googled "movies" and didn't get a single return on Flixster, suggesting perhaps their presence isn't so strong outside NA.
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Anyway, back to Get Help! I was planning to do this after my mid-terms next week, since like many of you in CS3216, I was on week 0 on some modules until yesterday (thankfully I have caught up on all my reading, just need to apply in doing the tutorial questions now :P). But I figured I should stop procrastinating and just get it done (it was due on 22 feb :X meaning I'm late... which is a horrible feeling that feels me with ugh), especially since I feel better now. I also discovered that blogging helps me de-stress.
Just commenting about it as a whole though, I am not quite sure what gives someone an incentive to actually login to FB and access an app just to ask for help :X I think the idea can work though, just that there probably is some external, dominant third party providing an existing service (speculation). It is useful that it can be spread by like, SMS, but one thing I am curious about is whether people would SMS you back on your phone? Or replies actually get back to the app? (same qns for twitter) Why can't I just post a status feed? Though this certainly provides an advantage of having everything summarized, and a platform to get everything out there.Do I need that though, if it is one-off? But the idea of getting help is constricting, and I cannot imagine why people would constantly return to the app for help (do we need so much help?) or check who needs help. The phrasing is pretty important.
It seems to be that currently, most users would be one-off users, or infrequent users. They probably just go into one or two pages, and they're out of the app. Maybe I see a friend needs help on their FB wall status, I click the link, offer it, done. Most people will access the app from a link outside, rather than through the app itself (if you get what I mean).
I think a better idea would be the overview page to be a really quick summary of everything. Include the "I need help with..." bar, but also a couple of friends need of help, your badge and "level". That way, they immediately know what others need, it's put directly in front of them, in their face. Even though they are already in the app, immediate visibility of its functions is crucial.
Also though, I feel the badges may not be big enough an incentive, especially since it is in a separate tab. I mean, I'm done after I do my search. I probably won't visit the badges page or anything else, others won't know my rank, I won't know another's (probably). Neither do I thinkan entire tab for badges is necessary at all. Perhaps, a side tab with your friends who are top helpers in a side bar, or their faces with their rank on it on every pict they appear in within the app? :P This would probably feed people's ego if it's advertised, rather on a seldom frequented page. Other things I though of: The helpers and probables with multiple avatars of the same person also confused me. If someone offered different help 3 times, it's counted as 3 helpers? If I offer horrible help, is that counted towards my "score"? Same thing for referring and asking for help. It'll encourage some people who are bored enough to randomly ask for/offer help/referrals (and type "aaaaaaaajasdlkajd" and other similar nonsense to up their ranks) and this will distort and destroy everything.
Statistics is optional, probably can be implemented in the side tab also, so friends are "local" overall highscores are "global" like Icytower does their highscores.
I can't think of much to say :P Restarting from scratch sounds serious, and I am not sure why they would re-do the entire thing completely. Just re-arranging and ironing out bugs (ya, I know it's easier said then done).
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