# Ruby on Rails candy for petproject

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-on-rails-candy-for-petproject/110650>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 28, 2007, 10:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-on-rails-candy-for-petproject/110650 "2007-07-28T22:11:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leonb)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 10:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-on-rails-candy-for-petproject/110650/1 "2007-07-28T22:11:03Z")

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Hi all,

I’m participating in a petproject contest. For this contest I’m using  
Ruby on Rails. So I could learn Ruby on Rails and to impress the jury  
with cool Rails features.

It’s a system so that roommates can organize their expenses.

Do you have some cool ideas to incorporate into this project? I  
thought about personal RSS feeds, email notification. But these are  
not REALLY cool. I incorporated some [del.icio.us](http://del.icio.us) in the login screen.

Thanks in advance!

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**Author:** ![leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leonb)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 5:35am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-on-rails-candy-for-petproject/110650/2 "2007-07-29T05:35:39Z")

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LeonB wrote:

> not REALLY cool. I incorporated some [del.icio.us](http://del.icio.us) in the login screen.
> 
> Thanks in advance!

If you are looking for application features (rather than Web 2.0  
features), you can take a look at a Palm software called ‘Holiday  
Debts’ that has some cool features on sharing expenses. Among other  
things, it allows you to enter who paid for which item (incl different  
currencies) and how that is to be shared among the people who were  
there… and you can always glance at a different screen to see a  
cumulative plan for settling the debts.

Cheers,  
Mohit.  
7/29/2007 | 11:35 AM.

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**Author:** ![leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leonb)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 1:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-on-rails-candy-for-petproject/110650/3 "2007-07-29T13:19:14Z")

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[billmonk.com](http://billmonk.com) might be of use.

On 7/29/07, LeonB [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> thought about personal RSS feeds, email notification. But these are  
> not REALLY cool. I incorporated some [del.icio.us](http://del.icio.us) in the login screen.
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> 
> >

–  
Ramon T.

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**Author:** ![leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leonb)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 10:09am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-on-rails-candy-for-petproject/110650/4 "2007-07-30T10:09:59Z")

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Ramon T. wrote:

> [billmonk.com](http://billmonk.com) might be of use.
> 
> On 7/29/07, LeonB [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:
> 
> > thought about personal RSS feeds, email notification. But these are  
> > not REALLY cool. I incorporated some [del.icio.us](http://del.icio.us) in the login screen.
> > 
> > Thanks in advance!
> > 
> > >
> 
> –  
> Ramon T.

Wow! That billmonk is EXACTLY the same as I am making. Maybe gonna  
borrow some features from that. Thanks for the link.

But what I really was looking for was adding features that don’t  
contribute anything persÃ©. But are cool to see or to use. Web 2.0  
features 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@leonb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leonb)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-on-rails-candy-for-petproject/110650/5 "2007-07-30T00:41:28Z")

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LeonB wrote:

> not REALLY cool. I incorporated some [del.icio.us](http://del.icio.us) in the login screen.
> 
> Thanks in advance!

Heh. I’m always trying to find a way to remove the cool ideas from my  
applications. If I can offer any advice, make sure you have a clear goal  
in mind. Then add enhancements on that idea… tons of cool features  
doesn’t guarantee a good product.

Okay… I thought of some other advice. Talk to your users. They’re the  
ones that you’re building it for. Find out what sort of problems they’re  
experiencing and then once you have enough information, start  
brainstorming innovative solutions to them. Giving them a bunch of  
features without first understanding their goals may not be very  
productive.

Good luck!

Robby

–  
Robby R.  
[http://www.robbyonrails.com/](http://www.robbyonrails.com/)

> **[Planet Argon](https://www.planetargon.com/)**
>
> Planet Argon is a Ruby on Rails development agency specializing in maintenance and support for existing Rails apps. Based in Portland, OR, Planet Argon has been a member of the Rails community since 2004.
