Intro to StumbleUpon³

StumbleUpon was created in 2001 by Garrett Camp, Geoff Smith, Justin LaFrance, and Eric Boyd in Calgary, Alberta. StumbleUpon has a web site, but it is primarilyy known as a browser plug-in and a toolbar that allows users to rate the sites they visit.  Particularly interesting sites naturally receive more votes.  Others users click a "stumble" button to see a random web site.  As users vote for particular sites, StumbleUpon becomes better at matching interests with new sites that are submitted.  Therefore, the service becomes better the more it is used.

StumbleUpon is purely user-driven, since all of the sites are submitted by users and the popularity of sites is wholly dependent on how many times it gets a thumbs up or thumbs down vote.  StumbleUpon is unlike most other social sites, and its popularity (the site has over six million registered users) has made it a great success.

 

Searching vs. Stumbling:

Using search engines to locate relevant content typically means hunting through pages of results. Rather than searching for quality web sites, StumbleUpon members are taken directly to web sites matching their personal interests and preferences. StumbleUpon is about content Discovery,  not information Discovery.

 

People-Driven Technology:

Using a combination of human opinions and machine learning to immediately deliver relevant content, StumbleUpon presents only web sites which have been suggested by other like-minded Stumblers. Each time the 'Stumble' button is clicked, the user is presented with a high quality web site based on the collective opinions of other like-minded web surfers.

 

Easy to Use, Community-based surfing:

The StumbleUpon Toolbar is integrated with the user's browser to allow for one-click access to quality web sites. A simple 2-level rating system gives users the opportunity to pass on or give their opinion on any webpage with a single click. These ratings also connect people sharing unique combinations of interests. Stumblers share their favorite web sites and interact with other users to further improve their web surfing experience.

Combats Information Overload:

Information on the Internet changes rapidly.  StumbleUpon is a dynamic approach to keep on top of this ever-evolving pool of knowledge. StumbleUpon filters through the vast amount of information on the web to direct Stumblers to high quality web sites which are relevant to their personal interests. An obscure but interesting site can be immediately shared with other like-minded users. Old or low-quality sites can be removed if their ratings become too low. The participation of community members helps maintain a database of the most up-to-date and highest quality sites possible.

 

Multiple Use Program dependant on the User:

The online social software we're discussing, StumbleUpon.com, could probably be called a Web browser plug-in, an online social network, an online social bookmarking network, an online social search engine - basically StumbleUpon is an example of software that has many roles. For simplicity's sake, we'll stick to calling it an online social network for this analysis.

The key to StumbleUpon is that its users can share interesting Web content. When they find something they like online, they have a Web-based outlet through which they can let others know about the site. Other users can then view that content, through topic-orientated browsing or purposeful searching, and reciprocate the favor by sharing their own interesting finds.

StumbleUpon offers a personalized Web experience. At one time or another, every Internet user experiences difficulties getting the intended match from a query entered in a search engine. Narrowing search results can be a challenge, especially when you're not sure what you're looking for. Let's say you'd like to check out some cool photos taken around the world. Type "cool photos" into a regular search engine and you might get some worthwhile links mixed in with some questionable, unrelated or uninteresting content. Try the same phrase with SU, and not only will you receive hits related to quality photography sites, the photos will crosscheck with your other interests. And you don't need to keep returning to a search page; you can simply move through the results. A tool like SU helps filter Web content into a manageable, customized experience. And the more you indicate what you like, the better StumbleUpon gets at offering content you'll appreciate.