How Google takes feedback

[jonknee]

Here's a discussion about how the screenshot functionality works (which is the part that I think everyone here is impressed with).

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4912092/using-html5-canva...

tl;dr JavaScript can read the DOM and render a fairly accurate representation of that using canvas

[SunboX]

Every one who is interested in that should take a look at the great html2canvas library:

https://github.com/niklasvh/html2canvas

[pveugen]

Indeed very cool. Usabilla offers a same form of feedback: http://usabilla.com/products#usabilla_live (see also button on the right side of the page).

How it works:

1. You create a widget and add two lines of code to your site. 2. Visitors click the feedback button and can select highlight any part of the page to comment on. 3. Usabilla creates a screenshot (server-side) and shows feedback in a simple dashboard.

Disclaimer: I'm founder of Usabilla.

[jonnymkramer]

I find it annoying how you have to restart the tool for each individual element. Especially as you have to go through the How Does It Work screen every time. I think skipping the How Does It Work screen on subsequent pieces of feedback would be better.

[richardkeller]

How do you guys take a screenshot server-side for sites that require a login? Or does this only work for publicly accessible pages?

[premist]

Open source solution : http://experiments.hertzen.com/jsfeedback/

It uses html2canvas to generate site screenshot on client side.

[dawernik]

I wish Google would share the process post submission and how they analyze and respond to feedback. I find a process like this to capture feedback over <or disproportionately> solving the easy part of a feedback loop.

I have to imagine that Google has a pretty automated process to understand the feedback - i'd rather see that. That's the problem I've always had with applications with millions of users.

[huge_asshole]

Every piece of feedback is analyzed (if it passes a spam test) by a team dedicated to that product's feedback

[naww]

Still no way to contact human for a problem. No feedback or any kind of acknowledgement about anything.

And my only problem with Google only appears when I'm not logged in. The irony.

[eavc]

Depending on the product and the nature of the feedback, you can often go directly to a team lead on Google+ and get some kind of reply.

[mikecane]

What good is Feedback when Google is determined to take away features from something like Google Books? You can complain all you want but they won't revert. Just making it easier to complain does nothing to fix anything.

[j_baker]

Feedback != Complaining

The difference is subtle, but important.

Feedback: "I would use your product more if it did x."

Complaining: "Your product sucks because it doesn't do x."

In short: you're absolutely correct. Making it easier to complain doesn't help. Making it easier to give feedback does help.

[aristus]

By curiosity, what features? I have "Google Play Books" but haven't used it much.

[ditzy]

This feedback webapp had been available to Google+ users since Google+ initially launched as invite only to the public. It used to be at the bottom right of the page.

[jcollins1991]

Was it for all pages or just G+ pages? The only time I saw it before was after a Youtube UI update (long before G+), and I was sad I couldn't use it elsewhere on their site... Definitely glad that it's been rolled out to more parts of their site now.

[theone]

you can get idea about how its done from, http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/streaming/screenshare...

[ams6110]

It's a neat bit of coding, but is it really easier than just snapping a screenshot and attaching it to an email? I know what I think.....

[jonknee]

An astoundingly high percentage of people would be unable to snap a screenshot and attach it. Let alone highlight the issue and black out anything sensitive.

Doing it within the app also gives you a lot more detail (who the user is, where they were accessing, what browser they were using, their OS, any client side exceptions, their exact actions, etc etc) without needing to rely on the user to provide it.

[lmirosevic]

It might be easier for you, and for lots of other HN readers too, but what about all the other people in the world? People who when they hear the word "code" think vertically scrolling green letters on the screen.

[robrenaud]

You missed the "edit screenshot in photo editor to highlight and black out info" part. Having used this internally, I can say yes, this tool flows very well. I don't know if we do this, but you could imagine clustering feedback by the highlight pattern to automatically gauge the frequency of similiar complaints.

[zaphar]

yes, yes it is.

[joshka]

Doesn't seem to work for google reader or google code. :(

[meeech]

can't find it for gmail either.

[zhuzhuor]

does Google have customer service?

[MaysonL]

If you're a big adveriser, yes. Otherwise, well maybe if you generate a lot of unpleasant buzz...