Jacoblk

It's already a big improvement and I realize you just threw this up, so that's especially impressive. I'd suggest making the list of major features more "scan-able", perhaps by listing the features in bullet points, or just creating a tour. Also, I'm a tad confused on this point, but if it costs $5 to register (for the non HN crowd anyway), I haven't seen mention of that anywhere on the site...that's probably something people should find out before clicking "register".

First of all, this seems like a great app; it has a very nice usability in its current form. That said, it seems like there are just a few ideas that could really improve the app:

1. A real homepage. For example, notice how the homepage on www.freshbooks.com shows a decently sized screen shot, followed by a list of the major features, and an invitation to either take a tour or jump right in to "try FreshBooks for free"

2. A tour, FAQ, contextual help, or some method of introducing users to features they may not have noticed otherwise. For an example of where this would be useful: I added a recipe right away and was impressed with the interface, but only after I added all the ingredients did I discover that I could, in fact, group elements together (under "more options").

3. Insert the "add ingredients" and "add directions" buttons directly into their respective boxes.

4. Make the list of ingredients drag-and-drop? I can't say for sure whether this would be useful or just get in the way, but it seems like a good idea to me.

I'll occasionally get on a to-do list kick, but the only thing that has consistently worked for me is to find things that are moderately productive while still being a little fun. Then whenever I feel like procrastinating, I do one of those things. It allows me to take breaks from the boring stuff without ever fully stopping.

As an example, this past semester I used this technique to switch between take-home tests (boring) and fun yet productive tasks such as programming assignments that weren’t due for months or (non-school related) reading that I’d been meaning to catch up on.

I think a service like this has the potential to be better than a library because of the convenience of having books mailed to you from a self-selected queue, and possibility of better selection. Unfortunately, from a quick glance at the books available, it seems they don’t even match the selection of my local library.

Now, if Amazon was to start a service like this, I think it would be phenomenal. (Perhaps integrated with the kindle?)