“There is Absolutely Nothing Good About the Page.”
As I mentioned, I asked Ed Kohler’s Mechanical Turk project - 3rdPartyFeedback.com (feedback from 10 people for $25) - about Cullect.
Here’s what they said.
- What Does This Website Do?
- This helps people find and share the relevant, important stories from our news and
blog feeds. - This website helps you find and share relevant and important stories from news and
blog feeds. Cullector is a supporter, share-er, writer, and aggregator. - Find and share important stories from news and blogs feeds.
- It appears that the website functions as a news aggregator for news websites and
blog sites. - Looks like a site to share your favorite sites, blogs and feeds. I image it’s like:
“Digg, De.lic.ious, or Cullect this link”. - It helps you find news and blogs on specific subject matter that is currently in the
news or being written about. It seems to be (due to the amount of times the state
is highlighted) primarily regarding Minnesota related news. - The website helps you find and share the relevant, important stories from your news
and blog feeds. - This appears to be an application called, “Cullect” which allows users to share
relevant news and stories from blog feeds. - The website helps you sort through blogs and feeds that you subscribe to, to find
those articles you would want to read. - Actually, not a clue. After going deeper into the site it seems to be a collection of
personal stories that individuals submit.
- Best Current Feature
- I don’t consider anything best current feature for this website.
- The best feature on this site is the simplicity of finding what you are looking for.
They are broken down by categories and even have a currently added location. - The Most Recommended is a good place to start. I would Suggest the reading of
Garrick Van Buren’s Econ Blogs. - The tag cloud with blue keywords for easy clicking.
- I like the fact that the website design is spare and not flash heavy.
- The tag cloud of terms. I can scan that big list and read other people’s links to
topics of interest to me. - That the most popular items are clearly highlighted in blue and therefore easy to
spot and click on. - As of now, there is absolutely nothing good about the page. It needs to be greatly
improved. - The ability to curate feeds with other people is a very exciting feature that is
practical and fun.The ability to customize reading lists into levels of importance is
interesting. - Site filters through clutter for you so you can get the info you want faster.
- 1-Thing to Improve
- This website would be better with a new design. The homepage is a little sloppy and
when I first clicked the link it doesn’t seem professional very much. Otherwise, it is
a great concept. - Need more coloring and images. Need a navigation for collecting the same topics.
- The site is actually too simple and too similar to a paper page. Making use of the
empty white space on the left of the screen for links would aid navigation. Also, you
need to break up the text somewhat following “Named Reading Lists.” The
hyperlinks stand out well, but they are embedded in a wall of text that is three
pages long. - Add some design. The all css texty stuff is very bland looking. Also I was confused
by a few headlines:
“You probably already have an account.” Huh? Why might I probably have an
account if this is the first time I’ve been here?
“Find a Cullect Reading List” I expected this to be a link that would take me to a list
of users with lists or even a list of lists. It doesn’t link or do anything. - It is plain and boring. It is a complete cluster of words and therefore hard to read.
Your mind just wants to skim over everything. Also the font at the beginning of the
page is huge and not needed. I am not saying that it needs to be splashy and have
moving graphics, but right now it looks like it was put together in 5 minutes with no
care. - Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!
- I am not sure about the ‘membership’ and not confident that passing along 30-35%
of a person’s membership to a blogger, podcaster of your choice. This is
interesting, but the way it is stated on the web page could be improved. The
presentation of this option needs further development. This seems to be a very
unique aspect of Cullect.com and the design of the site should better present this
concept. - Front page could look more professional. Perhaps a different font and one color per
subject photos may help. - Change the layout a bit so the description of Cullect is in a different font and size
from the “sign in” button”. Trying to grab new users attention. Make your
description pop. - Take out all the non-highlighted items. If you can’t access them at this point why
have them listed. Makes the site seem to go on and on.
Your comments?
Cullect woke up a little grumpy this morning.
Some parts of the site may not be as responsive as they should.
Updates here as I know more.
Introducing: Keyword Filtering
A new benefit of being a paying Cullect customer: filtering items on keywords.
Pop open the ‘Customize’ section of your reading list (when you can also change the reading lists’ name, description, and stylesheet) and you’ll see a new ‘Keyword Filters’ section. Add it keywords you never, ever, never, want to see in your reading list and hit ‘Update’.
Cullect will then hide (i.e. move to /hidden) all past and future items containing any of those keywords.
It’s great for when big stories hit and you’re just done with the entire topic.
Enjoy.
While the idea of filtering existed as a feature for Cullect from the very first release, it wasn’t until recently that I felt like the UI for it had a home and the action (automatic hiding) felt right. Big thanks to Don Ball and Craig Key for inspiring the release of this feature this week.
Cullect Down While I Upgrade the Server - Watch this Space
Update 10:40CT 09 Sept.
Server upgrade and migration is complete.
Does it feel snappier?
Extended announcement forthcoming.
Cullect Will Be Down: 14 Aug 2008, 19:00 CT
Yes. Tonight’s the night. I’m starting the upgrade right after dinner.
Update 22:00 CT
In the midst of database maintenance right now. Everything’s looking good. Just taking a bit. 
Update 23:00 CT
Database maintenance and backup complete. Testing deployment.
Update 15 Aug 00:00 CT
Still testing and configuring the deployment environment.
Update 15 Aug 01:00 CT
Still testing and configuring the deployment environment.
Update 15 Aug 04:30 CT
The new code is on the server. Now, that the code is up and working as expected, there are some additional database tweaks to make. I’ve kicked off the first tweak, and I’m brushing my teeth and heading to bed.
Update 15 Aug 10:00 CT
The changes to the database are taking a while to propagate.
Jamuraa Representin’ at LifeHacker
A big thanks to Jamuraa for representing Cullect in last week’s LifeHacker Hive Five Call for Contenders: Best RSS Newsreader competition.
“Intelligent sorting and easy sharing to the places I already have is the win.” - Jamuraa
That’s right, comment number 2!
While we didn’t make the final cut (the night is still young), I’m happy that the choice is so clear for those that have used Cullect.
Thank you all.
Step 1. Make a Great Product, Step 2. Charge for It.
Live from this past weekend’s Startup School, Phil Crissman sent me this via Twitter:
Thankfully, David Heinemeier Hansson posted the video to his blog this morning.
Buckets, Context, Folders, Reading List, Potahtoes
As of this writing, I have at least 10 ‘buckets’ or reading lists for feeds: tech news, friends & family, podcasts, economics, feeds I’m test-driving, minnesota design blogs, ruby on rails programming blogs, my twitter feed, etc.
There’s somewhere around 300 feeds all together, but that number doesn’t mean much because I never see them all at once. I just see the whatever subset is in the river of news reading list/bucket I’m interested in at the moment.
Do I read all of them everyday? No. Nor do I feel any pressure to (i.e. aggregate unread count).
When I’m in the mood to see what’s new or important in any one of those buckets, I simply load up the url. If I stop looking, no harm, no foul. It’ll be there and the important stuff will keep bubbling to the top.
Cullect is Down - 16 Apr 2006 10:30 PM CST
While wrapping up some routine server maintenance this evening, I zigged when zagging was better. Now, Cullect is completely down.
I’m sorry.
As I write this, I’ve got a ticket in with the people who know how to make it better.
Historically, they’ve made it better very quickly.
UPDATE 17 Apr 2006 - 12:00 CST
After a good night’s rest, some breakfast, and some great help from Joyent, Cullect came back online this morning. I finished up the maintenance routine and it’s back to it’s usual self. Enjoy.