HN Explorer

Show HN: Serendipity – rediscover the web one interesting page at a time (serendipity.surf)

2 points by RaCaS123 ↗ HN
Random URLs are easy. Useful serendipity is hard.

I've built a free (no ads) app for both Android and iOS for users who want to swipe/surf between websites they otherwise would never have thought to find, both with some randomness and some light personalisation to keep the experience satiating. Users can also search the live web for uncovered topics - the results of which are then (subject to moderation) added to the corpus. It's a bit like StumbleUpon was but for the modern user.

Curious if any of you have any thoughts on how much personalisation you can add before serendipity becomes just another recommendation bubble?

Please do try it out and let me know your thoughts!

13 comments

[ 0.36 ms ] story [ 28.8 ms ] thread
Glitcher255
It's like tiktok but for websites? looks fun if its well curated but most of the web is not worth visiting, please make a web version!
RaCaS123
That's a good way of putting it albeit hopefully it provides for a more mentally healthy experience than TikTok. Developing the web version atm! Doing a bunch of work behind the scenes to improve the corpus to make sure it feels well curated - watch this space.
goatydev
It feels like a "TikTok-ified" version of a directory site. Since it’s a novel concept, I think it could attract a significant number of users—provided it’s fun and goes viral.
RaCaS123
Thanks very much - how are you finding it?
goatydev
To be honest, I haven't used it. I didn't want to install an app. I’d recommend launching a web version quickly. The biggest barrier to this service is likely the fact that it requires installation.
RaCaS123
Fair play - I've submitted a Chrome extension for review so it should be published as soon as it's approved. I appreciate that's not a shell but for Serendipity's functions, I felt an extension was better suited and was not a massive imposition on a user. Do please let me know your thoughts though!
RaCaS123
Update (3 Sept): a few people in this thread said the biggest barrier was having to install a mobile app / asked for a desktop version, so I prioritised that.

The Chrome extension is now live: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/pdkkoohhhodjoidmefi...

I went with an extension rather than trying to recreate the full experience in a conventional web app because a lot of Serendipity's desktop behaviour benefits from being persistent while you're actually browsing the destination sites - Surf, feedback, saves, Similar, etc. - rather than making you bounce back to a central webpage or putting sites inside an iframe.

I'm also working on a very lightweight zero-install web trial so people can experience a few Surfs before installing anything.

Thanks particularly to the people here who pushed on the installation friction. Would be interested to know how the extension feels compared with what you had in mind.