How I used parts.io

[AlexRich]

The categories here are too negative, all are related to bugs and complaints. Here's a category for general talking about what I used the site for. I just used the site to spec out a cheap and widely available spst toggle switch and it worked great. Thanks!

[techydude]

thanks Alex. most of the people here are 'alpha testers', as that's the stage parts.io is at in its young life, so yeah, it seems a bit negative because we're (happily, willingly) digging up the faults & wrinkles and reporting them to Chris and the developers
some of us just might do it with a bit more hand-waving than others

but even though it seems development has slowed down in the last few months, i'm still hopeful that Parts.io will mature into a go-to-place for finding stuff.

[ChrisGammell]

Thanks to both of you! @techydude is right in that it was focused on improving the experience and that feedback has been very valuable for us.

@AlexRich, would you be interested in a "cool part I found" category? Perhaps that'd be a good way to share with others some of the interesting things that exists in the data on Parts.io?

[techydude]

Which reminds me:
Although I haven't yet put full faith in the data, being able to see Price, Stock, & Popularity (not really sure what is) along a history graph going back a year or three is - excuse my Australian - effing brilliantly useful.
Several times now I've narrowed down a search to 1 of a few chips, and then its just, for example, chip package options to select from. Maybe I'd prefer the MSOP8, but that's been out of stock for the last 6 months, so SO8 it will be.
At the very least that's the best time to be provoked to go check availability on a few retailers sites just to be sure, and more often than not parts.io has been correct.

[AlexRich]

I get that these forums are really being used to log bugs right now, but I could see having some category for successful searches, cool parts I found or something like that. I would think it might be useful to hear about successes as well as failures of the system, not just as a motivational boost but to see how it's being used.

[xemexe]

Hear , hear @techydude .... and its just a baby ....