Whimventory allows you to create wishlists while you shop online. Using a bookmarklet you add to your web browser, you can add new items to different lists without leaving the site you’re shopping from. Once you have a list, you can sort, filter, and edit the items in it. You can also share lists with others, or keep them private. If someone decides to buy you something from one of your lists, they can anonymously mark the item as purchased to prevent duplicate gifts.
If you ask me, this is perfect for Wedding Registries! Or if you have savvy internet teenagers this would make for a modern approach to a holiday wishlist! Check out this example.
Congratulations, they’ve invented http://www.wishpot.com. Except with half the functionality.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 6:40 am
It has been very well done, but I think I’m going to wait for Cameron’s Gimme Bar.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 7:21 am
svpply anyone?
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 9:15 am
Hi Tina. I wrote a blog post in reply to yours that shows how flawed Whimventory is: http://chezmoncef.com/post/4023749190/swissmiss-recommends-service-with-poor-user-experience
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 9:56 am
Yes!! I just got engaged and have been looking for a nicely designed, functional online wishlist site to register for artworks I like around the web. This one is certainly a contender!
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 10:50 am
I love wishlists! Of course, my personal favorite is svpply.com and I don’t think I can be whisked away quite yet…it is just so minimal and beautiful.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 11:17 am
Oh my, Moncef! You know what, I think the idea of this side project is wonderful and deserves support, even if it is not perfectly executed yet. Is it a paid service? No! Did someone put their knowledge and free time into building something cool? Yes!
Have you built any free services recently? Do you know how much work they are, to make them work seamlessly? Do you know how heartbraking harsh comments by users like you are?
I know what I am talking about. Cameron, Evan and I are also still working on making TeuxDeux better, and I am glad for all the grateful users out there that love and support us. Also, their constructive feedback is invaluable. Whenever we get crushing comments like you just did with whimentory, we take a deep breath and just keep plugging away.
My recommendation to you: Be a little nicer. Don’t criticize so harshly right away. Put yourself into the shoes of the maker.
I am all for supporting doers like whimventory, even if their UI is not perfect.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 11:32 am
Hi Tina. Thanks for your reply. I am a big supporter of doers as well. I was not just pointing out a minor UI glitch. The fact that anyone can undo your wish list with a few clicks is a major user experience flaw.
If I were to create a service that is already offered by others, I would first do some research and find out what the competition is doing and how they are doing it. Then, if I still believed I could build a better product, I would make sure the basics were working perfectly before releasing it, whether as a free service, or a paid one.
My blog post was a review of Whimventory, focusing on one major bug which I consider a deal breaker. Honestly, Tina, would you release a wish list service if you knew that anyone could go to any user’s page and remove items from their wishlist? Would you have released TeuxDeux with a bug that allowed random users to check off, delete, or move others’ items?
P.S. You can click on my name to see the various websites I have built, including an online record store which works the way you expect any online store to work.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 12:16 pm
Looks like the beginning steps, but its not quite there yet. I use delicious for this very purpose and find it works perfectly for me as I can create all the personalised tags I need.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 1:44 pm
All I can say is that we are still in Beta for a reason, and Tina did, in fact, try our service.
Being vulnerable to MALICIOUS activity (marking all items as purchased, why would you do that?) is something we would like to take seriously, and will be addressing soon. Instead of trashing our work on a public forum, you could have used the Feedback button we offer on our site to HELP us instead.
That being said, thanks for your tip Moncef. I look forward to finding flaws in your next project and publishing them.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 1:46 pm
Fantastic for a beta website. I’m also not sure why people are pointing out competitors exist – perhaps nobody should open a coffee shop since we already have Starbucks?
Good grief. Internet.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 4:36 pm
Hi Moncet,
I’ve sent you an email addressing your concerns, and also detailing how they’re currently handled on-site. Please let me know what you think.
Mar 22nd, 2011 / 4:55 pm
@Moncet Didn’t go to school today. To afraid the bullies would beat me up. Thanks for your insight into the world.
Mar 23rd, 2011 / 1:18 am
Haters gonna hate.
Crazy thing is, I’ve been working on something crazily similar to this for a couple of months now. Kinda hurts to see someone do this before me pretty damn well. The UI I’ve worked on is pretty different, but the concept is similar. Hopefully, if my project ever launches, we can coexist in harmony.
I like what I see so far!
-Dan Cormier
Mar 24th, 2011 / 1:29 am
Also worth a look is http://giftb.ag
Apr 28th, 2011 / 9:55 am