Dear Fellow Brickies,

We'd like to thank you for giving your feedback, especially those who paid heed to Matt's 'word in your ear'.

Although It was a bit like leaving the delivery room and finding your gorgeous bouncing baby was an ugly duckling!

However, we submitted because we knew we had work to do prior to launching to the public, and this has been invaluable in helping perfect our 'swan' in the next few weeks. …

We've waited until the first day's worth to respond, and do so in a block rather than piecemeal as they come in. It looks like there is consensus on the main topics of concern.

We do need to address a lot (and we sense a redesign of the homepage will achieve many of them), but some of the issues cannot really change, for the following reasons:

ADS
  
Junkk.com is FREE to the public and any organisation who has a product or service with 2nd Use, or re-anything in their remit. It has editorial, information and data that is added to daily.

To do that costs a lot. Even though we hope to save the planet as a consequence, Junkk.com Is a media business… so there will have to be ads. Those up there now are tests from a pool, though we have asked the media agency for charity ones if possible. Eventually we hope they will be highly relevant: a tasty cereal whose pack can be made into a magazine file; how to save £2 on a set of floor protectors that needn’t end in the landfill (little acorns?), a mobile operator who will take back an old one in their shop; a car manufacturer who has created an LPG option; or a government dept. seeking to push a new recycling initiative.

The pool of information and knowledge is enhanced, and we change corporate behaviour by giving them the reward of our custom for giving us a greener option. Rewards can also come back to those who respond to the ads, so it sets up a two-way encouragement. Who doesn’t use Google because of the ads/ sponsored links at the side?

POP-UPS

There's only one 'pop-up' on the whole site, and that's the terms & conditions you get if you try and access any area where you will acquire potentially sensitive information.

This happens once, and will never repeat after you have registered. In this litigious age we have to ensure that no one acts irresponsibly with a posting, gets hurt or holds anyone responsible for acting on well meant advice. And that makes our future corporate sponsors secure and happy to participate.

It may sound flip, but who reads the guff when you load PC software? You just hit ‘Accept’? There's nothing onerous or that isn't obvious, but it keeps the nice lawyers happy and the nasty ones at bay. Submitters need to be aware they have responsibilities: and searchers need to accept kids can read how to cut something with knives. Any alternatives to avoid this aspect welcomed!

REGISTRATION

One of Junkk.com's more powerful features is the wealth of information accessible on a local basis.

All we ask is a name, email and only the first block of postcode (the only ‘extra’ over most interactive sites/online newsletters), so we can locate who we're communicating with and help them best.

So when you next log on, you can find a guy in the next street who has kitchen units he's chucking out that will go nicely in your garage for storage, or that the town swimming pool carpark has a skip that takes plastic.

Businesses need to do more, but we're giving them a ton of free promo opportunities, so for the sake of our audience we first need to ensure they are who they say they are, and fall within Junkk.com's remit.

You don't HAVE to register, but to get all this, why not?

Maybe we need to make the option of not registering clear for those with a phobia of providing such data; they can still have a rewarding experience with the General sections.

SOME DESIGN ISSUES

When space is limited on screen, we're walking a fine line between being of interest and use, and looking cluttered. Equally there's juggle between graphics and text. We also need to appeal to kids, teens, Mums, Dads & the silver surfers.

So we do have a problem in that we are offering several things (and making it worse currently by bolting on extra messages - that will be dropped before launch - to media/business partners):

* The matchmaking service of a searchable database of uploaded products and suggested associated 2nd Use ideas

* Information on recycling, from General issues (what battery does what) to National programs to local facilities (skips for green glass)

* News and editorial on a national and local basis

And it's obvious we've failed to communicate this well enough at present.

But we wonder if someone who never heard of Google or eBay (who also require registration to participate) would struggle if dumped on site with no idea what they're about.

Junkk.com will have visitors mainly as a consequence of media editorial or personal recommendation, which means there will be a level of knowledge and direction in mind. Our audience will be those members of the public who want to find 2nd uses, recycle properly and care about the environment.

We do need to adjust the home page to run with that ball much better. We are already back at the drawing board to address those excellent positive critiques to make the on and round-site experience and navigation clearer and easier.

Junkk.com is not perfect and never will be. But it will always adjust and evolve. No one said saving the planet would be easy, but it can still be fun.

So for playing your part, thanks!