iPhone App Reviews

POV: Volunteer-O-Matic

Michael (Admin) | Aug 20, 2009 POV, Productivity

User rating: (3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)

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* “POV” (Point of View) is a new feature that we’re testing out *

Generic Software’s rating: 8.0
IAR’s rating: 6.5

In the words of Generic Software, Volunteer-O-Matic “takes the hassle out of everyday decisions by providing a convenient way to randomly pick a name, chore, or any other entry from user-created lists.”

There are already way too many “who’s paying” apps so Generic Software is taking that idea a step further by letting the user decide whether the question is who’s paying or who’s gonna clean the cat’s litter box or whatever the big conundrum of the day might be.

It’s a really simple concept that I could see being useful in Brady Bunch households and office break rooms, and so far this app is off to a pretty good start. There are some things missing from the app that Generic Software acknowledges and is already working on, but there are also a couple of other features that I think could extend this app’s usefulness even further.

Generic Software’s summary:

What Volunteer-O-Matic does:

The intuitive and easy-to-use interface of Volunteer-O-Matic takes the hassle out of everyday decisions by providing a convenient way to randomly pick a name, chore, or any other entry from user-created lists.

For lists containing numbers, the application provides a convenient slider interface for instantly generating up to 99 numbers. For names, chores, or other items, Volunteer-O-Matic lets users type in freeform text or select contacts from the iPhone’s built-in Address Book.

What this app does right:

In two words: usability and stability.

I believe that Volunteer-O-Matic really shines in the usability department. Little touches throughout the application make the creation and use of lists very smooth.  While setting up lists, Volunteer-O-Matic checks for duplicate entries in both the list manager and within individual lists. Adding entries from your iPhone’s address book is a one-click operation. The main screen allows users to temporarily remove entries from the next spin to make sure everyone in the list gets their turn.

Where this app needs to improve:

Currently, there is no “Save As” feature for existing lists. Also, due to the iPhone Address Book native interface, users can only select one Address Book entry at a time.

Features and improvements planned for the future:

“Save As” for cloning lists.

Accelerometer support for spinning wheels on the main screen.

IAR’s take:

For the most part I agree with Generic Software about Volunteer-O-Matic’s usability because it really is easy to figure out, plus I like that it checks for duplicate entries, and adding names from the address book is a great way to speed things up. All those parts are good and I’m glad to hear that “save as” is on the slate.

For those unclear on the concept, what the developer means by “save as for cloning lists” is that currently you have to re-enter names for every list you make, and list cloning would eliminate that chore. So, for example, you’re Carol Brady and you’ve got six different tasks to allocate to all the brats living in your house. Instead of recreating the same list of Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Greg, Peter, Bobby six times, list cloning would allow you to make the list once and reuse it. Yay for cloning! It’ll be a very welcome improvement.

There are still three things that I would love for Volunteer-O-Matic to do that it currently doesn’t:

1. I can remove a list that I’ve created, but I want to be able to edit the list name.

I really wish I could edit the list name! This might even be faster than the Save As cloning deal that’s currently in development.

2. It will let you “remove entry from next spin” which is great, but it needs an option to remember who was removed if you exit the app and come back to it later.

I think a common use for an app like this would be in office break rooms where people may take turns cleaning splattered food out of the microwave or buying a new bottle of Irish whiskey to spike the morning coffee.

Right now Volunteer-O-Matic is great for assigning tasks in a single sitting, but it doesn’t work for stuff that’s more long term. If you have a list called “Buy booze” and you eliminate someone from that list, that person will magically return to the list if you exit the app and restart it the next day when you need more liquor. It’s gotta remember who was eliminated last time!

3. It will only spin one reel at a time, but there are times when spinning two reels may be what you want

Let’s trot out the Brady Bunch again for this one. If poor Carol has one task and six unwilling souls, Volunteer-O-Matic is perfect because it’ll provide a truly random way to choose who gets stuck with the dirty work. But what if she actually has six tasks and wants to randomly allocate them to the young ‘uns? Spinning one reel won’t cut it because she’ll have six tasks and six names.

There are other bells & whistles that Generic Software could try to squeeze into Volunteer-O-Matic (maybe selection history?), but the app is fairly new and I’m guessing the highest priority for any developer would be to build out the app’s core now and get to the “nice but optional” list later on.

If you’re in a position where stuff needs to be randomly delegated, or if your whole life somehow revolves around random selection, paying a dollar for Volunteer-O-Matic shouldn’t be too hard of a decision. I think it has the potential to live up to the developer’s self-rating of 8, but for me personally it still has a little ways to go before gaining that high of a mark.

iTunes Link – Volunteer-O-Matic
Generic Software website
Version 1.0
Tested on iPhone 3G OS3.0.1

* POV is sponsored by the developer

Tags: $.99