Dear Natalie & Leigh,

Thank you both for such highly constructive comments.

Natalie, we hope that one day soon we’ll be able to call on the power of the web combined with the amassed resource of positive community to get you an answer to your egg box ‘something’.

As soon as we re-build the home page(s) as a consequence of the helpful comments we’ve had, under the ‘Suggest’ function we intend to build a panel feature called ‘Prof’s Posers’ where calls for ideas/uses can be highlighted for all to ponder and come back with suggestions. Everyone has a good book in them, and we KNOW everyone has at least one great idea in them.

We see a lot of potential with schools, scouts, etc, and intend that once we get the visitor numbers through we can persuade big brands to support initiatives such as competitions more tangibly, which is in keeping with our ‘win-win’ ambitions for all who embrace the concept.

Maybe collecting and crushing the most cans of a specific type in a period, handicapped according to the pupil base? We’re sure that a recycler will send a truck around to collect a ton of pure aluminium from their area and weigh it to assess local, regional and national winners. And if it’s a specific brand’s can, then we’re sure they will offer some decent prizes (say, coordinating the donation and/or redirection of donated PCs/printers etc?). Lots of potential.

As to your rewards for individuals.. it already exists, though needs some fine-tuning, under ‘Rate this Idea’ on the specific idea page.

Much like eBay or Amazon, ideas are rated by your peers, which means we can assess who has come up with a winner and see about recognition. There is of course a bunch of issues here, so while we look forward to some healthy competition we brace ourselves for ‘it’s been rigged’ or ‘I had that idea’ first’. Back to those blooming t&cs again!

For browsing the listing, the final column does list whether it is data or an idea. We were stuck for space and couldn’t squeeze in a column header, but will look at making it clearer.

Leigh, you’ve added even more good stuff.. thanks!

Commenting on each entry is possible, check out ‘See User Comments’ on the rating page. Maybe we need to make this clearer. Again, we’re hoping that people will treat this as an opportunity to encourage rather than snipe, which will discourage those nervous of negative critiques. There really is no such thing as a bad idea, though some may be impractical or need cautions highlighted. Looking at it, we need to stress this fact better, and as much as we can (and already we’re stretched just checking the beta site entries) remove those who are being unhelpful. It’s a problem with such semi-automated Forum situations.

As to your inline box idea... great minds think alike! We looked at how the software guys did it, and what’s good enough for every Bill, Steve and Larry is good enough for us. Just hope our legal eagles will let us!

We had thought that once you’ve agreed once, that was it, including cookies and/or password ‘fast-tracks’ on all future sessions. So we’ll look at that; it shouldn’t repeat.

As to the front page… watch this space… literally! Much of what you have suggested is underway.

The big side ad is an industry standard called a skyscraper, which is usually not seen with most people’s screen settings. But it looks like it’s being seen more than we thought, so we will review. The structure was prepared by specialists in ad media, and to succeed as a business we have to maximise our ad potential. We removed pop-ups or unders against advice.

Believe us, we really, really, REALLY WANT the sponsor you suggest, but getting the right one in the right way is another challenge.

Hopefully once we get on board more varied, interactive ads pertinent to our mission, you will see that, just like with TV or the papers (maybe even more relevant???!) they can play a part by being an acceptable background that can entertain and inform in their own right.

As to press... there’ll be some other spaces worth watching very soon we hope, as we approach our launch, which is in June. If you are in London we are doing this around exhibits at two online shows. Our stand is the smallest at each, but will be made from 2nd use and/or recycled materials, which will be a site to see, just like… thanks to guys like you… Junkk.com.
Peter
Junkk.com