Humbit

jere

http://www.humbit.com

Webline

If potential users can`t see what is actually on the site, see what you offer, see what they can do, see how it will be of any use/benefit/value to them, they will see no point in signing up for it. I didn`t, anyway. All I saw was a black screen with a few tiny dots. What`s the point of it? What am I supposed to actually do?

jere

I appreciate your point. I`ve been struggling with (and rewriting) the front page. Here`s the problem: I want to explain in terms of benefits, even intangibles, not a laundry list of features. And I`m also trying to reach the ultra-brevity of popular sites like facebook (whose starter text is one sentence) and twitter.
Instead of explaining it here (which would be useless to users), I`ve rewritten the front page: Humbit. I hope you can have another look. It`s a lot longer than what I`m shooting for, but I think it addresses your point as best as I can. Maybe I should outsource this to someone else; I`m not the best writer.
Thanks!

Webline

I don`t think the length of your intro is the real issue, although it does need to be shortened.
1) I don`t really get the connection with getting noticed and celebrities.
2) "Instead of hiding in obscurity, you`ll be out in the open"  OK, but the problem is that I`m represented by a 1 x 1 pixel spot, which doesn`t really make me stand out from anyone else .... if you end up with thousands of users, where does my spot stand out from any other spot? How would I even know which spot was mine? How would I know how to find a certain user, or know who`s pixel I`m clicking on beforehand? And trying to click on one tiny particular spot among thousands could be difficult for many users.
3) "one million people will see a link to your profile every time they use the site."  This doesn`t quite make sense, I think just from the way it`s written.
Still, even with the more wordy intro, it isn`t clear what I can add/do/submit as a member. An FAQ page would help.
I think it`s cool that you are looking at a new twist on something popular, and I really don`t mean to be totally negative ... what I`m saying is just my opinion .... but to me there are still gaps in the logic/reasoning of using it, and the pixel aspect seems like it could be frustrating to use.

jere

Hmm. Didn`t expect an idea critique on the website critique forum, Webline, but I`ll take it.
"1) I don`t really get the connection with getting noticed and celebrities."
This is probably terribly worded, but I`m making a reference to the recent battle between CNN and Ashton Kutcher to reach a million followers on twitter (I linked to the story). The point is this: celebrity in real life seems to translate well into celebrity online. What about everyone else?
"2) "Instead of hiding in obscurity, you`ll be out in the open"  OK, but
the problem is that I`m represented by a 1 x 1 pixel spot, which
doesn`t really make me stand out from anyone else .... if you end up
with thousands of users, where does my spot stand out from any other
spot? How would I even know which spot was mine? How would I know how
to find a certain user, or know who`s pixel I`m clicking on beforehand?
And trying to click on one tiny particular spot among thousands could
be difficult for many users."
Well, that`s the trade off. You stand out by the color you pick. Admittedly, that`s a hard sell, but the advantage is your pixel getting to shown to LOTS of people. Personally, I feel like I`m stranded on other social networking sites. To hit a couple of your points, I`m going to very soon implement a feature that shows you exactly where you are. I don`t really see that as something that needs explaining before someone even signs up though. Also, it isn`t necessary to click directly on a pixel (as that is very difficult indeed), just close to it.
"3) "one million people will see a link to your profile every time they use the site."  This doesn`t quite make sense, I think just from the way it`s written."
There are one million potential users. Every time they look at the pixels, they will see your pixel (even if they never click on it). That`s still a lot of exposure.
I`m skeptical about spending even more time explaining things. This is facebook`s (you might have heard of it) explanation of their stie which sits right next to the registration form on the front page: "Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life."
That doesn`t tell me a single thing about what a user can add/do/submit and I would kill to have 1% of facebook`s success.
Now that I`ve explained all that, the question is how to break it down for users in a lot less words. A FAQ, btw, is a great idea and something I had planned. I`m not finished with the site. I`m working on little pieces here and there.
Thanks.

vwebworld

Interesting idea.
 
Two problems I see (or don`t see):
- I could not really see a 1px by 1px dot at first... I had to look very closely. Could be because my eyes are old, but this may be an issue.
- I do not get a sense that the site is really a social networking site (like facebook). I didn`t see tools to interact with other "humbit-ers".
 
The combination of the 1px dot and colors on the black background will make it hard for any viewer to stand out. Also, I think, make it very frustrating for viewers to "find" anyone.
 
Will you have a search feature?
 
~Roland

Videography

When our first impression of a site is "I don`t get it", then we are inclined to question the business model.
If your visitors don`t "get it", then your site could be the most perfectly designed and implemented site that would pass any technical review, but still be a failure in the business sense.

Webline

Jere,
I am not knocking the idea of something new ... I think that the term "exposure" apparently has different meanings between us .... you feel that a 1x1 pixel gives your users exposure, and that`s fine, where I feel that the same thing is still a colored pixel, and doesn`t tell me anything useful by just looking at it, and really have no idea what to actually do with them when I see them .... either as a member or a visitor, 1,000,00 of them together might be pretty to look at, but essentially all I`m seeing is colored pixels .... so I guess it`s how the overall concept is percieved by the viewer ....
So I get the concept you are relaying, and as I previously stated I think it`s cool that you`re trying to do something new .... but myself, it`s not something that I would think of as useful as it currently is .... if you`re open to suggestions, I`m sure that people here are willing to give you some input on how to make it more intuitive and understandable for the average viewer ....
And yes, I have heard of Facebook ....

jere

Thanks, everyone. I think maybe I need to come back when I`ve progressed a bit further. This is still a WIP.
"So I get the concept you are relaying, and as I previously stated I
think it`s cool that you`re trying to do something new .... but myself,
it`s not something that I would think of as useful as it currently is
.... if you`re open to suggestions, I`m sure that people here are
willing to give you some input on how to make it more intuitive and
understandable for the average viewer ...."
Totally understandable and I definitely AM open to suggestions.

Videography

Jere - it`s simple: "What`s in it for ME?"
Answer that so that your mom "gets it", and most visitors will also "get it".  (This is the legendary `mom test` that I had a part in developing in the 80`s).