Question

How can we improve OpenStudy (customer feedback)?

Answer 1

At OpenStudy - we’re trying to make the world one big study group. A place where people that need study help get help from those that can give it, and vice versa. Ideally help that’s “right now”, in real-time, and as fun and rewarding as possible.

For people asking questions - what’s changes could we make to site or community to get you to ask more questions, or get better help faster? What would make it more fun or immediately engaging?

For people answering questions - what’s would motivate you more or make it easier to help more people faster? What would make it more fun? What’s going to keep you here?

For everyone! What were your biggest problems getting started with the product?

There’s no wrong answers - we just want an honest dialog.

Answer 2

Is it in the works for there to be user - to - user private messaging, for one-on-one help? I like helping in real-time through the chat window on the lower right, but it would be much less cluttered to help in a private setting.

Answer 3

ok good question. The idea for isolated help was the question interface itself - what we're replying in now. Basically a side discussion around someone's particular need for help/question. But private chat has been requested - you mind suggesting it in the feedback tab on the left so others can vote?

Answer 4

I think open study is great! The only thing that has to be improved is sometimes the site stops chat and stuff but other than that its great!

Answer 5

heres an odd screenshot I just got...

Answer 6

OK so you're saying the chat bugs out and you can't post? =) yes we're trying to track that down!

Answer 7

wow - what browser are you on amistre64?

Answer 8

also - I see a lot of high fan counts on here. What do you all think of the fan system?

Answer 9

lol...explorer :) up here at my college

Answer 10

how could we improve it?

Answer 11

ack IE, the bane of all devs!

Answer 12

we'll look into that

Answer 13

have like a whiteboard area where you can like write out the problem

Answer 14

ok so something like a drawing tool?

Answer 15

the "fan" system can be misleading; a high fam count doesnt equate to intelligence.... take myself for an example :)

Answer 16

@Sierra - would you mind suggesting that in the feedback tab on the left hand side so others can vote?

Answer 17

It is a tad misleading, like amistre64 points out..

Answer 18

ok @Amistre - great point lol. How do you think we can better reward/measure topic specific competence? would doing so motivate you to answer more questions?

Answer 19

do you have different subjects on here? like english?

Answer 20

i just like answering questions regardless... so motivation is inherent for me :)

Answer 21

well, we don't have English *yet*. but you ALL can help us decide which study groups to launch next by going to our home page ("home"), clicking on "view all groups", and taking the survey that's linked

Answer 22

well that's great to hear =). but we feel like you should get some more street cred. So for example, what do you all think about the ability to rate great/helpful answers, or a point system by topic?

Answer 23

@Dancergirl - what other topics are you studying? Do you feel like you're getting the help you need on OpenStudy in math at least? What could be improved in that regard?

Answer 24

rating answers eh......... maybe; but it aint so much as getting answers right as being able to communicate the concepts involved so that the viewers can learn from it.... IMO

Answer 25

ok good point amistre64 - how about a way for the question asker to say whether or not they "get it"- so you know your answer was received, helpful, and they're on their way?

Answer 26

I like the idea of rating highly a helpful response, it's just that out of more than 5000 users, if only around 60(?) people fan one user, it's considered a "Champion" status...with 1.2% of users rating up?

Answer 27

thats sounds plausible :)

Answer 28

Right Quantum - I think if we evolve the rewards system, we would make topic-specific titles/achievements more substantial.

Answer 29

it's important to us that students know they're getting a good answer, and that answers know when their help is appreciated

Answer 30

That sounds good. And we could do without that system entirely if someone's "rank" is determined by how many helpful answers they provide, I believe.

Answer 31

ok good to hear =). That said, we want to reward ALL participation - some people learn passively, some are just really great answers, some are a mix. What are your thoughts in that regard?

Answer 32

free vacation to hawaii??

Answer 33

lol

Answer 34

That sounds good; so one's participation could be gauged by how many helpful answers they provide, and there could be different options for how "helpful" it is - is that what you're getting at?

Answer 35

If so, I think that would work.

Answer 36

let me throw another question out there - for askers/answerers/lurkers alike. What was the most frustrating part about OpenStudy getting starting?

Answer 37

could be usability, instant gratfication, anything

Answer 38

yes quantum, that was what I was getting at

Answer 39

I'm asking you guys to get creative - you're our target user, and we want to know how you would design things

Answer 40

it aint that user friendly when I first started. And those "help videos"? they are too small to see whats going on in them to be useful...

Answer 41

the equation option is not available to those asking a question, so there stuff can be hard to decipher alot of the time...

Answer 42

@Dancergirl - what would make OpenStudy more useful to you, besides more topics like english? What would make it more fun?

Answer 43

ok good point amistre, does that make you pause before answering some questions?

Answer 44

Amistre's last point is very relevant. It would simplify things so much if the asker had the equation editing option.

Answer 45

makes me scratch my head; but with my "superb" intellect and high fan base, I tend to get around it eventually :)

Answer 46

lol right!

Answer 47

@Amistre - anything specifically you found unintuitive geting started?

Answer 48

yeah, that darned reply text box kept moving cause of the "live" preview.... I found that highly unnerving at times

Answer 49

Oh, and Chris, when I don't use Group Chat for a period of about 5 minutes, anything I enter disappears and I can only see incoming messages - mine don't send. :P Btw, I'm using the FF4 Beta on Mac.

Answer 50

yes quantum - just noticed that myself and had to reload. We're going to look into that

Answer 51

@amistre heard on that

Answer 52

just glitched me now .... after an answer is posted; we get a screen freeze...

Answer 53

ok amistre - you're in IE?

Answer 54

IE yep...

Answer 55

ipad app would be WONDERFUL! unless this page is written with HTML... havent tried yet.

Answer 56

we really want to get the freezing/chat bugs nailed down, and reply scrolling

Answer 57

hi birdsell thanks - and yes, this site is pretty functional on ipad - but please try and let us know!

Answer 58

WONDERFUL! thank you!

Answer 59

@birdsell, if you were to change three things - usability, features, rewards, etc.. about OpenStudy - what would they be?

Answer 60

say hawaii :)

Answer 61

haha unfortunately that's an incredibly expensive feature to build out amistre

Answer 62

lol...it was worth a shot

Answer 63

ok guys, still looking for more feedback - not just what we're doing right, not necessarily what we can do next - what's confusing, what could we do *better* with what we have? (but please, keep feature requests coming as well)

Answer 64

but no more hawaii :p

Answer 65

@chris usability is great... im actually new to the site today and it is safe to say that I would have benefited greatly had I found it earlier, features are good... I found a bug that required me to stop the scrip 3 times and force quit firefox but it is working well now... as far as rewards... I like the system but it seems too "easy" to get fans... also i would love a "Solution Resolved" button or something of the sorts

Answer 66

ok GREAT suggestions birdsell. What would make it more rewarding? something like rated answers?

Answer 67

maybe "levels" and titles within topics based on answers?

Answer 68

possibly... maybe in order to become a fan of a certain person.. they must answer a question for you and you give that person credit by becoming a fan

Answer 69

right, that makes sense.

Answer 70

ok so new question: Have you told your friends about OpenStudy?

Answer 71

YES! i put it on my facebook

Answer 72

haha awesome =) thank you.

Answer 73

also love the facebook integration

Answer 74

great to hear =)

Answer 75

so if you could change one thing about OpenStudy, what would it be?

Answer 76

quick question...I see you go to Stanford. Was this site a project or was it a "for-fun" thing?

Answer 77

Well, I graduated from Stanford. We're actually a startup based out of Georgia Tech now, where I did my graduate studies. We're in an incubator based on tech campus.

Answer 78

So definitely not a side-project - this has been an internal inkling in most of our team members for some time now. We've bitten the bullet and are trying to build and share it.

Answer 79

good to hear... I am studying Computer Information Systems at Pitt. Thats why I ask

Answer 80

Awesome, it's an amazing field to be in - more so every day.

Answer 81

can we truncate the "notification" notices? some questions are lengthy and take up alot of room.... just a thought

Answer 82

Thats what I am hoping :) I started as an Enginnering major but hated it. Gotta love what you do!

Answer 83

you mean the length of them? good point - will bring it up with our designer.

Answer 84

something like: if length.string > 5000000000; cut :)

Answer 85

Yes - the best thing about CS is your ability to solve real world problems by yourself. If you see a need in the market - e.g. students need help and have nobody to ask - you can just build something that people will use.

Answer 86

lol ok amistre - good point haha.

Answer 87

'nother thought.... I noticed the question floats over on the LHside of the screen at times...intruncated form; but we have to scroll all the way up to get all the pertinent information while answering... is there a way to float the question to keep it in view? or am I just rambling :)

Answer 88

Thanks Chris (also my name)...wonderful to hear creators actually caring what people think... but i have to get back to Calculus so I can graduate! :p

Answer 89

no you're not just rambling amistre - we'll definitely consider it. It becomes an issue with longer answers/dialogs like this one =)

Answer 90

lol, ok good luck Chris!

Answer 91

hope to you see you around.

Answer 92

@chris and thanks for the feedback - its invaluable

Answer 93

oh...while im rambling on in my senility.... how about instead of having 50 notifications of the same post; they get "stacked" in a way.... so that all 50 notifications show up as on item?

Answer 94

got it =) yep that certainly makes sense

Answer 95

lol ... now your senile too :)

Answer 96

haha, I always was in fact - not your doing

Answer 97

But ok - thanks for the great feedback amistre - the whole team will read this thread. If you have anything else, hop into the OpenStudy Feedback group from the main page. We're usually hanging out there.