Ask HN: Review my Startup, Online Classified | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Review my Startup, Online Classified

6 pointsbpick5 comments

A few months ago I got fed up with the general state of online classified sites. They suck. They really suck.

I started YourGrounds.com as a way to remedy this travesty. Yourgrounds takes the ambiguity out of searching, and you no longer have to spend hours searching through postings.

Here's what we did - you can create a wishlist that searches even when you aren't on the site - if the site matches what you're looking for to something someones posts, it will notify you.

Simply put, I want you guys to tell me what you think.

Use the code: hackernews during your registration, there are 100 slots open right now.

There's still work to be done, and I want to know how I can make this the best possible site for everybody.

Enjoy!

If you have personal thoughts, questions or comments, you can direct them to brendan@yourgrounds.com

People have diverse complaints about Craigslist, although it's free and in general, it works.

My complaint with CL is it's not open enough. I truly wish Craig would drink the Jack Dorsey kool-aid, and have an open API for CL allowing independent developers to innovate around it.

Having said all that... your site is even more closed than CL. I understand private betas, but it's a classifieds site, and you're competing with CL, and the message is: even if I logged in and created an ad, no one would see it.

you no longer have to spend hours searching through postings.

That is admirable, and I hope it succeeds. But the problem right now with online classifieds is centered around whether distributed innovation is possible. I'd love to place an ad in a way that doesn't result in one company controlling it exclusively.

Thanks for your reply, and I can definitely see what you mean.

To clarify, our site can be searched by anyone, but to create a post or message someone through the site you must be signed up. I see what I'm doing as bringing the classified space into the 21st century by streamlining the process!

Still, what you have said demands consideration. Interesting.

Thanks. I didn't realize it could be searched by anyone, although on a second look, it clearly can. I think I was distracted by the sign up form.

I still think an open API is the key.

This looks like something that could potentially reinvigorate the classified space.

I, for one, am all for it.

Thank you, but was there anything specific you would suggest so that we could improve it?

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