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Readage - find your good words

https://enigmatic-hollows-50908.herokuapp.com/

Project description: Mash-up of several sources of quality insights on a topic the user searches (i.e., 1 search returns results from several sources)

My first solo app! Created the initial MVP in 24 hours at Hack Reactor and presented it successfully. Added a bunch of features in December and January that I didn't get time to initially (partly because of the challenges in learning how to parse the XML to JSON - the documentation lies). To prioritize (via waffle.io) I balanced features that would teach me new things plus features I need, as I use this app nearly every day (which is how I've found and fixed a bunch of bugs and also addressed idiosyncrasies of the APIs and challenges inherent in scraping Quora.com).

Some future features I'm working on or considering:

  • Features that will teach me new stuff and make me a better software engineer (are those always synonymous?), as that's what I'm here for (I mean that literally: I'm on earth to learn stuff, mash it up and share it)

  • Features that avid readers (of words and of Readage) want / will want - I'm doing this for you, too, people!

    . on that note: how about a "letters to the hacker" section where I post the rave reviews and "dude, you got a lot to learn" feedback?

    . perhaps I'll even inspire ransom note-style rantings some day:

    Of All the Insane Donald Trump Mail the Observer Receives, This Is the Insanest - Persistent and prolific Trump critic enlivens daily mail delivery http://observer.com/2016/09/of-all-the-insane-donald-trump-mail-the-observer-receives-this-is-the-insanest/

    . (also see decentralization point below in this regard)

  • Blurb committing to donate all proceeds to charity (such as @codetoinspire)? I want people like "JavaScript John" Michelin (https://javascriptjohn.com/author/jmichelin/) buying their expensive robots on Amazon through Readage so we get some sweet commish (he's already "got a guy for my rare sword purchases")

  • Feedback form so users can tell me what they like and don't like, plus features they want (shout out to Jackie Day for the request for an Amazon link to buy the book you search; hint: it's below the book synopsis and VERY fun to use, especially when you actually buy the book; heck, live a little and buy an expensive robot while you're at it - I'll give you a kickback!)

  • Stuff I want to do/build longer-term: have audio play on the site (auto or button)? could be clips from audiobooks! Spotify links/iTunes music or iTunes U previews

  • My @21.co contact info (buy my time with Bitcoin! people pay for this and YOU can actually get me to code stuff, assuming I like the idea (or you have a lot of BTC or ETH; actually, I'll prioritize requests attached to any ETH donations))

  • Better design. I suck at CSS (and you don't even want to know how jerry-rigged the columns are for now)

    . no really, please don't look - unless you want to give me tips!

    . At the very least, the left column needs to be wider and I need more clarity regarding "search stuff" vs "browse stuff" (this one is moving up in priority after a fellow Hack Reactor student showed me the basics of Bootstrap between sprints; thanks, Rich!)

  • Top navigation, other pages? I kinda like the single-page app approach here, but let me know if you have thoughts

  • Ability to upload photos / graphics for consideration in the gallery (or allow users to post without approval? greater design challenge for me and I espouse "decentralize all the things", so perhaps I should embrace it there); maybe that's justification for a new page?

  • Features that will catch the attention and interest of potential hiring targets (ConsenSys, are you picking up what I'm putting down?)

    . corollary: features that could snag some media, helping expand the funnel for above points

  • Fix then replace the dang widgets (because: "We don't use widgets, we build them" - John Michelin)

  • Features serving the app's various audiences: readers, book industry peeps? Identify yourself, my audiences!

  • More APIs! NPR; video search via Clarify.io [add to list]

  • 'Take a Peek' section with Google Books previews: make this a side-by-side or grid

  • Get ideas from that website for libraries - carousel widget is cool [add URL here: ]

  • Mouse-over on quotes, pulls them out bigly? (also for photos, etc.?)

[note to self: add the others from my waffle.io user stories]