Show HN: Collections for Mac, now with Instagram Support and a Revamped UI | Hacker News Reader

Show HN: Collections for Mac, now with Instagram Support and a Revamped UI

collections.me

67 pointsjordanlee40 comments

It is unclear to me what this app is. It's Instagram and Google Docs for Mac? As a single app?

My thoughts exactly. Is it an rss reader too?

Hi! Fair question. We're trying to build a universal Finder, a single point of entry to all of the digital content you have that's currently dispersed across an ever-growing number of cloud and web services. A bit of this was present in a TechCrunch article earlier today (http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/24/collections-for-mac-instagr...), but we're currently writing a blog post that will more fully explain what we're up to.

The post is live: http://collections-me.tumblr.com/

It sounds like Yojimbo or Evernote for your social/docs accounts, which could be useful if it allows you to store your content locally (read: backup!).

I mentioned this on the last Collections thread, but I'll mention it again. Getting an email with the word "collections" in it causes a quick jump when I glance through my emails. Not sure how to get around that since it's the name of your software, but it makes me feel like I forgot to pay something and upsets me.

Many have aired this, and we've been concerned about it ourselves, but our hope is to subvert and overcome the connotation.

Looks beautiful, but there is no description the app or its purpose - just a description of 2 of its features.

So, what is it?

See here: http://collections-me.tumblr.com

Honest question for the devs - why the focus on Instagram? I thought that your original product was fantastic (despite the security problems). I feel like adding in Instagram takes away from the awesome original version: an amazing desktop version of Google Docs.

See here: http://collections-me.tumblr.com/

Beautifully done, exactly what I wanted to organized my docs. Sadly, I am drooling over how my pictures could be organized too, but I don't have an instagram account - can you organize FB pictures? Pretty please? :)

That's next. :)

So is it no longer in beta? It didn't replace the previous version I had installed because the name no longer includes "beta".

Why do I have to login again? Do you have DEBUG off on the production server this time? I was weary giving my credentials the first time, still am.

Is the spreadsheet editor still just an web view? Yep, looks like it is. That's my biggest hinderance here, it's so much easier to edit spreadsheets in Chrome because I can do things like edit the page without having to find the mysterious icon for it on the top right.

I haven't tried editing any other filetypes, so I don't know if you have any actual integrated editor that isn't just using Docs in a web view, but I think that's really a much more important aspect of a program like this for myself rather than it being able to login to all of my random accounts.

Hi jc4p, the product is still in beta. (If you go to the about page for the product you'll see that it says Beta2) The reason we removed Beta from the name of the app itself is that we started using Sparkle for auto updating the app, which seems to break if the app name changes. If we keep Beta in the name of the app, we won't be able to automatically update you to a full version later. That's why we removed it.

About spreadsheet, we know the experience is still not great and could use a lot of work. Stay tuned and we hope to have something for you in the next couple of days. As for security, since last launch we've consulted with Heroku security team, implemented password policy and done a great deal of other things to keep infrastructure secure. We have an upcoming blog post dedicated to security planned which will give you more details about how we keep your data safe. We'll let you know.

I'm interested in the developer's thought processes regarding the functions of this application.

Google Docs and Instagram are related how? I don't conflate users of either services with users of the other necessarily.

Hi rodly, we just wrote up a little blog post to explain our thought process. Check it out!

http://collections-me.tumblr.com/

"Our long-term vision for Collections is to build a cloud-enabled universal Finder, through which you’ll be able to access all of the digital content you have that’s currently scattered across an ever-increasing number of cloud and web services."

If you posted something short and sweet to this effect on your homepage, you would definitely increase user retention. I like the idea, and think it's definitely a problem needing to be solved.

Since the people involved with this app are replying in here:

Is this another app I will come to love and find invaluable only to one day wake to "we've been bought by Google!"?

Do you have a business plan that involves long-term support for (and monetization) of your users?

If not, I simply won't install something that has the raw potential to be so important to me.

Hi tomflack, we despaired at Sparrow's purchase and are in it for the long haul.

Thanks for replying, I won't ask you to reveal monetization plans but have you taken any VC?

Doesn't seem to work in Mountain Lion. I launched the app, added my google account, then went to add my Instagram account, however I had to do a password reset, when I switched back to collections it was unresponsive. Re-launching the app shows me the chrome of your main window and then it goes unresponsive again.

If I can be of any help with your testing, let me know!

Hi jameswyse, thanks a lot for offering to help. We have yet to test our app on the latest Mountain Lion. We will install Mountain Lion tomorrow and test the app. Feel free to email us at support@collections.me and we'll drop you a note once we finish testing the product on mountain lion.

Thanks, will do!

Hi james, we just installed Mountain Lion and can confirm that this issue does indeed exist. We're working on getting it fixed and will get back to you.

the fact i still love this app despite their terrible security problems from the last launch is a very good sign for them. i'd pay for this. don't need the instagram support though. sticking to professional stuff (like docs) seems like a more prudent move. google will be chasing this company soon.

Tried it, don't have a use for it. I'm not an Instagram user, nor do I use Google Docs much.

Will there be support for other 'collections' cloud services, like Delicious for example? I could see it being a handy interface to my bookmarks in Delicious, if it were supported ..

Not sure how the Instagram fits into the original goal of the app ... but cool!

I really am enjoying this app and I think you have made something great. I do agree with the sentiment that you haven't yet made the value proposition as clear, but that will change.

When this was first posted, there was an issue with security credentials. It would be good to know more about what you are doing to secure things going forward.

Hi newman314, we've consulted with Heroku's security team and implemented all the best practices suggested by them. We started enforcing a password complexity policy for all of our accounts (Heroku, Amazon, codebase, database, etc). We got an upcoming blog post on security planned in which we will inform you much more on how we keep your data safe. Stay tuned!

Just re-downloaded. I love the new icon, I think that swung it back for me. Beta 1 was hurting my Dock.

Doesn't resize on my 13" screen meaning I can't see content? Kind of weird.

Hi drobati, I'm not quite sure what you mean. Could you give us a bit more detail?

great job! I liked the previous logo though...this one is too... colorful.

I agree. This new logo looks like a lot of the more generic designs I've seen submitted in 99design contests.

Yep, it's a combination of the drop shadow, the floating shadow, the color choices, and the shine on top of the colors.

No Snow Leopard support? :(

We should buy you a copy of Mountain Lion so you can test out our app :)

awesome. i have been in need of some instagram api tokens. thanks guys!

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