Askolo
Web and SaaS
q&a community
SHOW HN2012
142points
72comments
#138of 1,677 in 2012
Top 9%of 2012 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
9 positive, 21 neutral or asking, 4 mixed, 10 critical, out of 44 comments about the project. Thread score +0.05.
Design: 4 for, 5 againstIdea: 4 for, 1 againstExecution: 1 for, 3 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Clean, well-designed interface
From 4 comments
This is exceptionally well designed and thought through. It seems like it could be a lot more valuable than just Q&A for HN users, though that's a smart place to start. I'm…
gruseom on HNThis site feels like a classier version of Formspring. Nice job!
psawaya on HNFor some reason, this is more friendly / easier than Quora. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's Quora's red, I've never liked that. On a more specific note, have you…
deepkut on HNLike the clean interface. Much better than formspring.me However, each question requires its own permalink. So that people can share a particular Q&A. Another idea suggestion…
ankeshk on HN
The wish feature for asking people without their address
From 2 comments
My favorite feature of this site, by far, is "wish". I wanted a service where you could do exactly what it does -- write a note or ask a question to someone, without figuring out…
rdl on HNInteresting idea (I especially like the wish feature)! Great implementation! How do you plan on getting users to come back after they've read(or asked) what they needed to read?…
tersiag on HN
Friendlier than Quora and better than AnyAsq
From 2 comments
Weird that nobody mentioned AnyAsq, which is pretty much the same thing: http://anyasq.com/ Although Askolo looks better and nicer to use, so hopefully it'll stick around. I just…
sgdesign on HNFor some reason, this is more friendly / easier than Quora. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's Quora's red, I've never liked that. On a more specific note, have you…
deepkut on HN
Objections
Landing page does not explain what the site does
From 3 comments
I would suggest having MUCH more information about what I'm signing up for before I actually hand over my information. All I know from the homepage and the about page is that its…
darxius on HNI like it and I hope more 'interesting' people will register soon; I think I should say that before I start whining. Why didn't you put this (or some sort of similar) information…
rednum on HNIt's not just about "handing over information"--the original question applies: what, exactly, am I signing up for? It just says "ask people questions." Granted, there are "About"…
bmj on HN
Hard to find people to follow and discover users
From 3 comments
Suggestion / Question: the "suggested users" list disappeared after my first follow, so discovery has become a little tricky. Does it exist elsewhere? If not, might be a good…
duggan on HNIt's hard to find people to follow, even though I'm well-connected to the initial group of users (lots of friends in YC, started using Quora in 2009, etc.). It's made worse…
jfarmer on HNSee other profiles at the bottom of someone's profile frequently includes the person him/herself. In general though - it's an excellent idea, but it appears to be difficult to…
eps on HN
Questions and answers lack timestamps
From 3 comments
It would be nice if you added the date and time that questions are asked and answered. That would help users gauge recency and temporal relevance.
zeantsoi on HNNice site! I think the questions and answers need some kind of visible timestamp though. Q&A, by its very nature, can go stale quickly.
bhousel on HNRight. IMO, here's an answer by pg where a timestamp would have provided a lot of context: A: Not yet. I haven't spent much time reading the next batch of applications yet.
zeantsoi on HN
Founders appear to be YC-funded and recruited YC people, which seems dishonest
From 2 comments
They are YC-funded. PG answered a question as such: http://askolo.com/pg
ashraful on HNThat's disappointing. I had guessed they might be, but was hoping they were not, because they commented below "(1) We reached out directly to a handful of people that we admired…
volaski on HN
Requests
Show timestamps on questions and answers
From 3 comments
Please, please include the timestamps for questions, answers, and comments. I'd love to know when some of the questions were asked and answered. If the time is already there (and…
michaelkscott on HNIt would be nice if you added the date and time that questions are asked and answered. That would help users gauge recency and temporal relevance.
zeantsoi on HNNice site! I think the questions and answers need some kind of visible timestamp though. Q&A, by its very nature, can go stale quickly.
bhousel on HN
Explain the site on the homepage with screenshots
From 2 comments
I would suggest having MUCH more information about what I'm signing up for before I actually hand over my information. All I know from the homepage and the about page is that its…
darxius on HNI like it and I hope more 'interesting' people will register soon; I think I should say that before I start whining. Why didn't you put this (or some sort of similar) information…
rednum on HN
Let people connect with Facebook after signup and follow suggested users
From 2 comments
It's hard to find people to follow, even though I'm well-connected to the initial group of users (lots of friends in YC, started using Quora in 2009, etc.). It's made worse…
jfarmer on HNI didn't connect with Facebook because I know all the dirty tricks people play. ;) I can't connect now, after the fact. There are also some simple design oversights. For example,…
jfarmer on HN
Allow unregistered users to ask questions
From 1 comment
See other profiles at the bottom of someone's profile frequently includes the person him/herself. In general though - it's an excellent idea, but it appears to be difficult to…
eps on HN
Questions
What separates Askolo from Quora?
From 1 comment
I might as well ask the obvious question: what separates Askolo from Quora?
fruchtose on HN
What is the technology stack?
From 1 comment
What is askolo technology stack?
flaviojuvenal on HN
Are the YC-linked profiles affiliated with Y Combinator?
From 1 comment
It's really impressive how you guys got so many YC people on board before launching. I really hope you're not a YC company because that would make this post dishonest. (I know…
volaski on HN
Alternatives named
Quora
From 2 comments
I might as well ask the obvious question: what separates Askolo from Quora?
fruchtose on HNThis is exceptionally well designed and thought through. It seems like it could be a lot more valuable than just Q&A for HN users, though that's a smart place to start. I'm…
gruseom on HN
AnyAsq
From 1 comment
Weird that nobody mentioned AnyAsq, which is pretty much the same thing: http://anyasq.com/ Although Askolo looks better and nicer to use, so hopefully it'll stick around. I just…
sgdesign on HN
Formspring
From 2 comments
This site feels like a classier version of Formspring. Nice job!
psawaya on HNLike the clean interface. Much better than formspring.me However, each question requires its own permalink. So that people can share a particular Q&A. Another idea suggestion…
ankeshk on HN
Askcue
From 1 comment
had a similar idea a long time ago (ie. ~2 years) and it was called askcue.com (still online). question sites like these face a huge chicken and egg problem, because you need…
jcfrei on HN