ShareDiscuss – Share And Discuss Privately

16 thoughts on “ShareDiscuss – Share And Discuss Privately”

1. Visit https://sharediscuss.com – Do you understand what it is about? What task seems most useful to you? For which do you see a personal need. Is it clear how to proceed?

   Share Discuss appears to be a place to: share files, organize events, and meeting related things.

   Create a Share for whatever purpose you like, “Share Files”, “Meeting Info”, …

   Ok I created a meeting share for “buying stock”

   Was the process self explaining? Did you run into any trouble?

   Yes.  straightforward and understandably easy to share any files needed.

   Did you understand what to do? If not, what did you not understand?

   Yes.  It was very simple to do.

   What do you think about usability?

   Usability – It seems to have necessary functions.  I have suggestions listed at very bottom (actionable suggestions).  But as far as how well visitors can “use” your site, it is very one-dimensional and if they don’t come to share, then there is no reason to come to your site.  This could be an issue.  You need more content.

   What do you think about the Design?

   The design and content seem simplistic.  Design is fine.  On your homepage, the green does not go well with the highlight colors of blue and pink.

   Which section (Filesharing, Meeting, etc.) appeals most to you? What scenario are you missing? Should we add more?

   Well, it seems like you have too many categories (meaning that some seem like they are subheaders.  Share files seems very broad – meeting info (powerpoints, outlines) could easily fit under share files.  Create infopage doesn’t seem to be one that would be used a lot because again Share files is so broad it could fit under this.  Organize event seems like a feature that people would do on Facebook since all of their friends are already on there.  Doesn’t seem like this would be used a lot on this site.  So in summary I think you could have one button that says Share files and then the next screen you could pick a subcategory such as: Share for a meeting, share with friends, share for… etc.  I would invest in getting a higher quality looking picture/icon for share files.  Like use real logos for .ppt .pdf and .excel

   Would you sign up to keep track of your shares? Having them all in one list. Or ist it just right for you to have a URL to manage the share?

   I do all my file sharing on facebook, because that’s where my friends are.  A lot easier doing it on there than encouraging them to all come on here and do it.

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.

   Actionable suggestions:
   1. If you are going to use easter colors on homepage, then you need to use a lighter green to go with the light blue and pink.
   2. The red on the “feedback” tab doesn’t compliment the easter colors either.
   3. As discussed above, I think “Share Files” could encompass all categories here, and you could have subcategories under it.  However, I don’t see how you are offering something unique that Facebook doesn’t address.
   4. Your website seems very one-dimensional.  You don’t have testimonials, a blog, contact info., or about us.  Why not have more?  As is, the visitor doesn’t find out much about your brand.  In this case less means your credibility is questioned.
   5. Invest in higher-quality icons.  As I said in #4, your credibility is in question, and you want your brand to look its very best – premium quality if possible.  Icons that really show us that you are premium will add something to your homepage.

2. Do you understand what it is about? What task seems most useful to you? For which do you see a personal need. Is it clear how to proceed?
   First impression: Wow, the landing page just jumps right in.  Unlike most home pages, there are no tabs for navigation, no tagline or copy about the site, nothing.  In addition, there are a couple of little peculiarities with the design such as the fact that you have icons for Share Files and Meeting Info but no icons for Organize Event or Create Infopage.  All this makes the site look kind of unprofessional at first glance.
    
   However, I do understand what the site is about.  I understand that it allows me to create “private” files, presentations, invitations, maps, and so on that I can share with just a few people.  BUT I don’t understand how it would be private because you don’t include any information about how your web site works.  So that doesn’t exactly inspire trust.  I don’t even have to sign up for an account.  So how on earth could you guarantee privacy?
    
   As for what seems most useful to me, well, I’d have to say that Share Files stands out as the least useful simply because if I want to send files to a select group of people, I can already just email them.  I do like the idea of posting a presentation or invitation or map that only a select group of people could see.
    
   Is it clear how to proceed?  Well, it looks like I would need to just click on one of the four options and get started.
    
   Create a Share for whatever purpose you like, “Share Files”, “Meeting Info”, …
   I chose Organize Event.
    
   Was the process self explaining? Did you run into any trouble?
   At first, I was disappointed because I thought this was going to allow me to create an attractive invitation.  But there really weren’t a lot of font or color selections or anything.  If I can’t create a pretty invitation, then why would I want to use this as opposed to just emailing my friends about my upcoming event?
    
   I got started by clicking “Add Text” and filled in a few lines.  Then I tried “Add Location,” thinking I would be able to create some kind of map to my place.  This didn’t work as planned.  I entered an address and saved it, but nothing happened.  A map didn’t pop up, directions didn’t pop up, nothing.  At this point, I wasn’t sure how to get back to the invitation I was in the process of designing.  I tried clicking “Add Text” again, and this brought me back to the body of my invitation but with all the HTML on full display for some reason.  Also, it didn’t seem that location info had been added to the invitation anywhere.  Next, I tried to add a link, but, again, when I returned to the main body of the invitation, the link was nowhere to be seen.  On top of that, there didn’t seem to be any way to preview my invitation as it would appear to others.  Nor did I see any way to send it to others once it was saved.
    
   Did you understand what to do? If not, what did you not understand?
   Sort of, but the whole process just seemed incomplete.  I really think you need to have a regular web site with a user guide or help section.  I also went back and tried Meeting Info and had the same problems as I had with Organize Event.  There just aren’t enough tools here to create an actual presentation.  I mean, if I’m going to be sharing notes on a meeting with someone, I should have bullets available to me, some kind of outline format maybe.  And again, I need some way to see what my final version looks like and some way to send it to the people I want to share it with.
    
   What do you think about usability?
   As I said, I was able to figure out what to do, but there were a lot of glitches, so really I don’t think it’s that usable.
    
   What do you think about the Design?
   What design?  You don’t really have a functioning web site, so I don’t know what you mean.  If you mean the layout of your templates for events and presentations and so on, I think it’s very limited.
    
   Which section (Filesharing, Meeting, etc.) appeals most to you? What scenario are you missing? Should we add more?
   Personally, I think what appeals most to me is Organize Event.  I can’t think of any other options you could add off the top of my head.  I really think you should concentrate on improving your site as it is now before you start adding more selections.
    
   Would you sign up to keep track of your shares? Having them all in one list. Or is it just right for you to have a URL to manage the share?
   I still have no clue how to manage the share as your site is set up now.  Where would I enter my friends’ email addresses?  I’m totally confused.  Hypothetically, if you created a site where I could sign up and create an address book so that I could send my friends regular invitations or meeting notes or whatever, then yes, I’d like that better than the current set-up.  But really it’s hard to compare because the current set-up doesn’t seem to be working.
    
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
   Ok, I think what you really need to do is create an actual web site with a logo, a tagline, navigational tabs, a cute design, the works.  The home page should clearly explain your value proposition, and then if you want to include the four main icons so that people can jump right in, that’s fine.  However, you should also have some informational pages that explain who you are and how to use your site–an about us page, a help page, a contact page, and so on.  You should also have at least one page called “Why Use ShareDiscuss” or “How ShareDiscuss Helps” or something like that, which can go into more detail about the benefits of your site for those who want to look beyond the home page.
    
   Second, you really need to improve these templates.  Right now, they aren’t that functional, and I have no idea why I should use them instead of creating my own files on my own computer (with its vastly more sophisticated software) and emailing them as attachments to my friends.  In addition, a lot of your tools don’t seem to be working.  When I try to add a location or a link, nothing really happens.  And I have no way of moving between an editorial mode and a preview mode so that I can see how my work looks.  Finally, there is no apparent way to let my friends know about this.  There isn’t any feature that would allow me to email them or tweet about it or anything like that.
    
   I can appreciate what you’re trying to do.  I understand that you want to create a site where people can upload or design files that only their friends can view.  I don’t think that’s a bad idea at all.  But in its current incarnation, it doesn’t seem to be worth using at all.
    
    

3. Sorry, I just wanted to add a couple of things:

   1. My apologies. I noticed that you DO indeed have icons for each of your four main categories on the home page. My browser took so long to download the latter two that I thought they didn’t exist.

   2. I also noticed that when I’m working on creating a file, there’s no way to get back to the home page. I have to use my back arrow. I’d appreciate a clear link back to the home page.

4. Visit https://sharediscuss.com – Do you understand what it is about? What task seems most useful to you? For which do you see a personal need. Is it clear how to proceed?

   You website is obviously about sharing and discussing, so a community website where people can talk about anything.
   “Meeting Info” seems to be the most useful task for me. Why? Simply because people often need a place to organise meetings, they often do that on facebook, but it is not professional. As such, an external website to organise meetings seem just right for me.
   To a personal leve, I think I would need the “Create Infopage”. I often need to send important information to my friends, whether it is news or just rumours. This option seems to be the perfect one for me.
   Pretty obvious that you need to click on one of those. Then is asks for page name and your name, straight forward. When going into the page, the options “Add file”, “Add text”, “Add link” and “Add location” are presented.
   I added some texts and location, and i must say it is pretty simple. It is just like blogging. So yes, it is pretty clear how to proceed.
   I like the link to google maps when adding a location.
   Create a Share for whatever purpose you like, “Share Files”, “Meeting Info”, …
   Info Page..
   Was the process self explaining? Did you run into any trouble?
   As explained above, the process was easy and straight forward. No troubles were encountered.
   Did you understand what to do? If not, what did you not understand?
   Everything was simple to understand. You should provide the ability to move the boxes around though, not just up or down, but around the page. It would make it much cooler and more interesting.
   What do you think about usability?
   Usability… It is very simple, just add texts, images, locations but they all go one underneath the other? I don’t like this. You should provide more tools so as to increase the appeal of the page itself.
   For example, I can’t change the font or colour of the texts… Unless I change the HTML code, but most people wouldn’t know how to do that. You should provide a tool that allows formatting of the texts, pictures, locations, etc…
   And option to change the background would be nice as well, and the header. I said before that it would be more interesting if we could move the boxes around as well.
   Right now, the page is really dull and boring. You do not provide enough tool to play around with the aesthetic side of it.
   Also, how do I come back to my page? Do I need to keep the URL ? It would be better if each “Admin” got an account where all the pages they created were on their profile page, it would be much easier to track things. Rather than us needing to copy/paste the URL everytime.
   What do you think about the Design?
   As I said before, it is dull and boring. Your logo is nice though, it reflects about giving and receiving, meaning sharing which is the purpose of your website.
   White as background is boring, and you used white for the background of the body content as well. Make it two different colours for each, it would be less boring. But again, an option to allows the user to do it by themselves would be best.
   Which section (Filesharing, Meeting, etc.) appeals most to you? What scenario are you missing? Should we add more?
   Isn’t it the same as question one? “Info Page” is more appealing to me. I just clicked on all 4, and what I realised is that you gave all of them the same page… It is really disappointing.
   If you are going to give every option to same format, you might as well just give one option. Seriously, no one wants a lot of option that gives the same results. Personalise each section and make them different. Different layout, tools…
   Would you sign up to keep track of your shares? Having them all in one list. Or ist it just right for you to have a URL to manage the share?
   I would sign up, as said above. Keeping the URL is really troublesome and I would much prefer getting a profile for myself where I can keep track of everything.
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
   I realised that you do not have any information about you? You should provide information about you or your company so that the people feel more reassured with who they are dealing with. Furthermore, one word… Privacy. How do you make sure that my files, meetings, etc… are all private and won’t be found out by a third party? You should have a term of agreement/service/usage.
   I would feel much more reassured if I knew what you would be doing with the information given.
   Can I delete my page? I can’t find that option. If I don’t need the page anymore, I would like to be able to delete it.
   I just realised that your “real” main page, is usekit.com and that the share page is just a sub webpage. You asked to review the sharing page and as such, I won’t interfere with your real homepage. Next time, it would be much clearer if you state it in the “details”.

5. Thanks for your Feedback.

   Maybe important to mention, it is a very early alpha, based on the technology of our main product useKit.com. At the moment our main intent is to get a feeling if there is a need for simple (no sign-up) sharing of content outside of facebook & co.
   I agree that most of the categories would fit under “Share a File” but it is also a way to figure out what people use it for and maybe guide them to what they can do.
    
   Thanks again for your feedback,
   Eric

6. Visit https://sharediscuss.com – Do you understand what it is about? What task seems most useful to you? For which do you see a personal need. Is it clear how to proceed?
   Yes I understand what the site is about. Your site allows people to share personal information with friends, family and co-workers in a private manner. Right now I would have to say the create infopage would be the most helpful to me followed my the share files section. It is clear that you proceed by picking one of the four boxes to continue with no login required.
   Create a Share for whatever purpose you like, “Share Files”, “Meeting Info”, …
   Done. I chose the Meeting Info.
   Was the process self explaining? Did you run into any trouble?
   The process seemed easy enough. I had some trouble being able to edit my page that I created. I understand how the site works but I find it trouble some that I need to jump back and forth between my email and your site to edit information. I would much rather login and be able to keep all of my contents in one location. I would like to have had more ablility to change the fonts, size and colors. Your selection seemed to be very limited. I really liked the map feature and that people could leave comments.
   Did you understand what to do? If not, what did you not understand?
   I saw that with one link I could edit or delete the information that I had created. Or I could send the links/ information to whomever I wished.
   What do you think about usability?
   It was easy to use.
   What do you think about the Design?
   The design in and of itself is pretty boring. Even though your site is pretty straight forward it’s not all very interactive.
   Which section (Filesharing, Meeting, etc.) appeals most to you? What scenario are you missing? Should we add more?
   I stated before that the meeting info appealed to me the most. I did however look at the rest of them to just compare and I was disappointed to see that they were all the same. It seems sort of misleading to even have categories on your site knowing that each section is all the same. Yes of course you should add more. Each section should be unique to its title and focus soley on that one area.
   Would you sign up to keep track of your shares? Having them all in one list. Or ist it just right for you to have a URL to manage the share?
   As I stated before I would like to have an account instead of jumping into my email to edit or delete my projects. I would also love a way to link my email address to you site. It would make it so easir for me to just send out my work those who need to see it. I find it a little cucumbersome to have to copy and paste all the time.
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
   I would have liked to see some samples placed under each of the four categories. Even the addition of an interactive video would have be nice. Also I like to see testimonials where people have just fell in love with your service because it just made things so simple for them.  I must say the graphics on your homepage are really lacking a level of professionalism. When I think of your site it makes me feel I just stepped into a one stop business and personal site and you really failed at giving us that. There seems to be no zest, color and life to your site. Where is the company info and contact information. Please revamp your site and deliver a give people a great site that you have in the making.

7. Thanks a lot for your feedback. As you figured out, useKit.com is our main product and with ShareDiscuss.com we would like to use our technology from useKit to provide a very easy tool to create collaborative workspaces. But before we start putting a lot of effort in design, features, etc. we are at the moment trying to evaluate if there is a need and what would be the perfect product for our users.
   I didn’t mention useKit.com since it was my intention to keep the feedback focused on Share&Discuss but you’re right maybe the information provided on our website is a bit too minimalistic.
    
   If you have any additional suggestions would you think could be helpful on such a easy sharing page please comment on it. Accounts will be for sure something to come.
    
   Eric

8. zeke2100 has been selected as an awardee.

9. H_game has been selected as an awardee.

10. Visit https://sharediscuss.com – Do you understand what it is about? What task seems most useful to you? For which do you see a personal need. Is it clear how to proceed?
    I understand the theory that this site can be easily used to share information, either personally with friends/family or for business.

    Each task/category displayed the same screens so I am unsure how one would need to determine whether they were selecting Share Files, Meeting Info, Organize Event, or Create Infopage.  If they really had obvious differentiating characteristics other than the descriptions on the homepage, then perhaps I could distinguish if there was one category I would use over others.  Perhaps I have just answered your question whether “Is it clear how to proceed”! 

    Create a Share for whatever purpose you like, “Share Files”, “Meeting Info”…Was the process self explaining? Did you run into any trouble?
    I attempted to create a share for all 4 categories. 

    The Add File function displays a small box above when you click “Add File”.  The small box may have to be a little larger, as the word, “file” (within Select file) was getting cut off.

    The Add Link function would not allow me to either paste or enter a URL into the field.  I saw the “pen” image in the field, but it did not allow me to type in the field, even when clicking on it (what’s the function of the pen image?).

    The Add Location function automatically entered “London, Tower Bridge”.  Again, I could not enter text here.  Not sure of functionality.

    Once I decided to “Complete and Publish”, I was unable to enter my email address into the field.  Again, the pen image was in the field…

    I could not create any links to go back and check the page that was created.
    
    Did you understand what to do? If not, what did you not understand?
    I think that tooltips or a quick video demo would be good.

    What do you think about usability?
    Low score on usability at this point, but the concept is great.  Creating beta sites are difficult and kudos to you for allowing public criticism.  Hope that it helps you make this into a really great site.
    
    What do you think about the Design?
    It does not have a professional flair.  It reminds me of baby shower colors.  Pink and blue.  I know it’s use could be for personal use or business, but I do not like the pink and blue.  I like the simplicity of the categories and explanations, but I found nothing different when creating in all 4 categories.

    
    What about other “tools” to use to create a great page?
    I assume (since I could not finish the page creation process) that these display as nice web pages…need backgrounds, better fonts, and etc…close to web pages themselves. 

    Which section (Filesharing, Meeting, etc.) appeals most to you? What scenario are you missing? Should we add more?
    I cannot comment on the sections since they were exactly the same with Add File, Add Text, Add Link, and Add Location.

    Would you sign up to keep track of your shares? Having them all in one list. Or ist it just right for you to have a URL to manage the share?
    It is probable that I would use your site.  There are always social gatherings and charity events that could be managed here IF the page creation could get more sophisticated without being complicated.

    I personally like lists, but there could be others that are happy with the URL.

    Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
    See above responses.

    Good luck!  I would be happy to test again once I can determine how each category functions differently.

11. Thanks for your feedback.
    Which browser are you using? It is still early alpha but it should be functional I apologize that it didn’t work for you.
     
    Eric

12. Visit – Do you understand what it is about? What task seems most useful to you? For which do you see a personal need. Is it clear how to proceed?https://sharediscuss.com
    Share Discuss seems to be a site where I could: share files, organize events, and meeting information.  I will try out all functions to determine in what situation I might make use of them.
    
    Create a Share for whatever purpose you like, “Share Files”, “Meeting Info”, …
    No problem.  I am going to create a meeting share for a support group.  I will name it “Support Group Alpha” and Enter my nickname “Ange”.

    Was the process self explaining? Did you run into any trouble?
    Yes.  I found there was no spell check in the ‘add text’ option, you may want to consider adding that option.

    The ‘add link’ option did not appear to work.  I would click on the text box, and no text that I typed would register.  I found the same issue appear in the ‘add location’ option.  This same issue appeared in the author section where you can add your name and then add a comment.  When I attempted to ‘complete and publish’ my page, I was unable to do so since I could not enter my email address.

    I also noticed that the formatting on my underline and strikethrough words was not visable after I completed my edits and saved my text.

    I was able to upload a document sucessfully to my page.

    I did copy and save my url to show you my work, https://useKit.com/share/9821/LCXACUN6.

    Did you understand what to do? If not, what did you not understand?
    
    I understood how to complete each process, though I was unable to in many cases.
    
    What do you think about usability?
    There are some issues that I came accross in one of the four functional section of your site.  I feel it would be in your best interest to throughly go through each section and verify that each individual piece is functional.  This is nothing more disheartening then locating a new site that seems to offer just what you needed, only to discover half of the functions you were offered did not work.
    
    What do you think about the Design?
    The design seems to be overly simple, really quite ‘girly’ in feel.  It made me think of ink pen doodles from an office meeting, colored in with highlighters.  The design did convey to me that the site would be easy to use, however you may end up turning away male users by the color scheme.
    
    Which section (Filesharing, Meeting, etc.) appeals most to you? What scenario are you missing? Should we add more?
    I would be more inclined to use the Meeting Info, or Organize Event functions more than any others.  When I go to share a file, I’ll email it to the party.  Even though it can be ‘private’, if someone else guesses the URL, the file is no longer private.

    I can think of a few instances where the Meeting Info section might come in handy, but the issues I outlined above would need attention first.

    Would you sign up to keep track of your shares? Having them all in one list. Or ist it just right for you to have a URL to manage the share?
    I would create a sign in if after my first use I found the system meeting my needs.  Otherwise I use Facebook for my events, and schedle meetings and such by email.

    Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.

    The list of issues I found within the Meeting Info section must be addressed if you want to encourage people to use your website.

    Also the color scheme of the website as well as the quality of your icon should be addressed.  Highlighter Blue and Pink do not go with the red feedback bar nor the green lettering on top. 

    Consider adding an ‘about us’ and ‘faq’ section.  As is, the site looks bare. 

13. Internet Explorer 8.0.6001.18702

14. Hello Zeke2100
     
    Thank you very much for your feedback. I agree that our design needs a refresh, we really focused on minimal functionality to see if we are doing the right thing.
    We limited our starting page and will even end up without one.
     
    We already implemented a couple of new things:
    You can now upload mp3 music files, images and other filetypes and get a preview version online (I love this feature).
    Additionally we added simple checkboxes for todo lists and such.
    Please let me know, if there is something you would love to see implemented.
     
    Of corse, we do not want other people coming to our site, but you can send them the url to your created new page.
     
    Sven

15. I went back to the page I had created today.  I was able to use the functions I had mentioned as not working at the time of my evaluation.

    This was a significant improvement and I would feel comfortable recommending the site to friends as it currently functions.  I may even have to creat a meeting or event so I can use this site.

16. $5 awarded to Ange.

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