Methodology
How a Should I Use report is made
A Should I Use report is a buy or don't-buy fit check of a public product URL.
Updated .
01 — Steps
How a report is made
Public product page
A person submits a public product URL.
The site starts a check for that URL.
The check reads the public product page.
The check also reads the public pricing page on that site.
Public search
The check then searches the public web.
The searches look for reviews, security notes, pricing, and companies.
The check also reads the public security page on that site when the page exists.
Advisor report
An advisor writes the report from the page text and the search results.
Each factual claim needs a source URL from that evidence.
If the evidence does not support a claim, the report omits the claim.
The advisor uses ordinary public knowledge of the product category to judge fit, overkill, and substitutes.
A guess starts with Guess:.
Saved report
The site saves the report.
A later check for the same URL reuses the saved report for 30 days.
02 — Fit
What the advisor answers
What it is
The advisor names what the product is.
Who it is for
The advisor names who the product is for.
Who it is not for
The advisor names who the product is not for.
That list includes buyers for whom the product is overkill.
What to use instead
The advisor names what to use instead.
Known companies
When public sources name them, the advisor lists up to five companies that use the product.
Companies on a competitor
When public sources name them, the advisor lists up to five companies that fit the product but use a competing service.
03 — Verdict
What the verdict labels mean
The report stores one verdict label.
buy
The stored label buy means the advisor calls the product a fit to buy.
The report page shows Worth it.
depends
The stored label depends means the fit depends on the buyer.
The report page shows Depends.
dont_buy
The stored label dont_buy means the advisor calls the product a poor fit to buy.
The report page shows Skip.
The verdict summary names who buys and who does not.
04 — Limits
What this page does not do
This page does not start a new analysis.
The check does not log in to the product.
The check does not invent prices, features, security issues, or company names.
The check uses the public product page and public search.