Nice to see IE gets updated a lot quicker in the US than it does in the UK (though there aren't browser usage statistics available for Gov.UK sites I don't think...)!
RescueTime [1] seems to be along the right lines here, and is available on Linux. Doesn't appear to be able to track emails/texts/social interaction, though, only the time spent in applications and websites.
A mobile application to assist in the job of house/flat hunting.
Something that could tie in to RightMove (at least in the UK), access your saved properties, and provide a simple interface to schedule viewings (although I guess this would still have to be a manual process to book viewings, but the app should provide a calendar to store them in).
The app could then alert you when the viewing is soon, and provide an interface for you to rate the viewing, add comments and maybe your own photographs to remind you later on, rather than having to scribble notes down on the same piece of paper that becomes home to your chewing gum the next day.
On a social front, it would be good to see how many other people were viewing the same property, to gauge the interest, and maybe you would be able to see an overall rating of a property based on what other people that have viewed think about it?
House/Flat adverts are still relatively useless in the process of finding somewhere suitable, and until you can view and see a property for yourself, it's impossible to tell. I think it would be very useful to be able to see ratings and comments from other users, such as "the second bedroom is a lot smaller than the photos show, and the flooring in the bathroom seriously needs replacing!".
It doesn't look like there's an available API for RightMove at the moment, so I'm not sure how the integration could happen. Still, a stand-a-lone app could still be a worthwhile idea?
I agree it would be nice to bring renting (in London) etc into the 21st century but you're unlikely to ever incorporate a yelp type ratings system for property as there's no incentive for landlords / agents. They rely too heavily on spin and sales techniques - they don't want you talking to other people and discounting properties before you've seen them. They want to take you on a journey where they lower your expectations so that the one property they show you thats better than the others but slightly out your price range makes you fork out the extra cash. Estate agents and landlords want to control the market - you'll have a hard time democratising it. It really is a sellers market in London.
I'd personally like to see the use of web/tech to integrate the whole experience - so everything from deposits, rent, grievances and so on is centrally managed and moderated. Again though, hard to get traction.
The rental market in London is pretty ferocious. I don't think comments could work because you'd always run the risk that somebody has decided they like a place and want out off other people from looking. In the end you'd still have to check the place yourself. I like a lot of your other ideas though and user photos could definitely work.
I agree with the user comments issue. Maybe a way of vetting them, possibly if other viewers agree with previous comments, they become publicly available?
EDIT: ...but even then, you might not get personal opinions. Tough one!
If you feel that you'll be taking on the responsibilities of someone who was previously your boss (and I'm therefore assuming a higher paid position in the company), then I'd argue that you have every right to -- at the very least -- ask about the options. If they value your contributions so far enough to give you more responsibilities, then they should be open to increasing your compensation, too. Good luck!
Agreed. Surely Netflix doesn't care ultimately, but studios are only going to sign contracts with them if they have things in place to guarantee it's all secure, i.e. DRM. There's surely no way that Netflix would fight for this, and then LOVEFiLM wouldn't use it as well?
C#: Visual Studio 2012, obviously.
Java: Eclipse
Everything else: Sublime Text 2. Super powerful, customisable, a lot of packages, relatively quick learning curve. What's not to like!
Favourite language...either Javascript or C# at the moment. Not even kidding.
Looking forward to seeing what comes of this. Somewhat refreshing to see you opting for an alternative approach to trying to take over the world with the "next big thing". I wish you luck; onwards and upwards.
Thank you! I was very hesitant to post this because I've always had the mindset of "if your product is good enough then you don't need salesmen" but have only recently realized otherwise.
I figured everyone has a few old sloppy projects that need cleaning up but it's not worth their time, it's worth my time at the moment though so I figured it would be a worthwhile to all parties to advertise my service.
If this gets enough response and I can't manage the workload, then I will probably consider creating a website to allow connecting people and trusted code cleaners.
