As such there are numerous engrossing websites on the Cyber World but unfortunately there are many, many more sites that are not of much interest to most of us when we are keenly searching for information. We can use search engines like Yahoo, Goggle, Bing etc., but most throw websites that are either paid or depending on priorities set up or sponsored and down right of no use to us. If only these engines can probe our mind and show up pertinent websites. ABRACADABRA!
How did I discover web sites before I stumbled upon "StumbleUpon"? Seriously, How? AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, Yahoo, Ask.com, Dogpile.com, AskJeeves, Hotbot, InfoSeek.then came Goggle and everyone got aquilined to it.Search On Internet means Goggling. Like most people, I too turned to Goggle to fulfill my on-line searching needs. But its very impressive in turning up thousands of results, which I had to scroll through manually, and soon took away the fun out of my pursuit for knowledge by throwing out all kind of unsuitable web pages. Many a times it was downright frustrating. In fact at times I just shut my self out of sheer hair pulling.
But then came StumbleUpon, which is a fantastically free program that can put the serendipity back into on-line searches! It stores my interests which I have selected and uses those interests to fling at me random website that it anticipates I might find interesting, And Many times I do find the website interesting, if so I can give it a "thumbs up(I Like It)" or if I don’t, I can give it a "thumbs down". This procedure will help me further, in refinement of where StumbleUpon sends me in the future day searches. It’s an uncomplicated system, and of course, if I discover new content, I can submit it to StumbleUpon, to further add to its database, what might be a vast number of websites on the system.
I came across this diminutive software while watching “Click” program on BBC News Television in 2002. StumbleUpon was founded in 2001 by a group of students in Calgary, Canada; Garrett Camp, Geoff Smith, Justin LaFrance and Eric Boyd.
Well, to start using this software tool, download StumbleUpon as an add-on, register your user profile, and select your interests from nearly 100s of topics, and then you are ready to start "stumbling". Hit the "Stumble!" button and you’re on your way. Or Visit the Website StumbleUpon.com and fill in your interests and click "Start Stumbling" Button. You can add or remove the topics of your interest by clicking on "See More Topics" Button. It will simulate like a tool bar at the top of each web page as you StumbleUpon.
StumbleUpon sits on your browser(any popular Browser, Mine is Firefox) as tool bar, with a massive range of features to allow for "social surfing" by means of a discovery engine that finds the best of the web, recommended just for you. But primarily it selects at random, Web sites that are relevant to you, suggested by other Net surfers. Its not just a Search Engine, With StumbleUpon you can also connect with friends, family, other people who share your new discovered websites, and meet people who have like-minded interests, and check out, what other people are discovering on the Internet. Keep stumbling and liking or disliking and discovering net web contents. Sites that you have given thumbs up are stored on-line and lets you visit them again at any time, So good bye to your Favourites or Bookmark Button. You have extra buttons like Stumblers and Tools. Check them out for yourself, esp the "Stumblers" button. You may Find Me there.LoL
The first thing you will notice is the choice of the Web sites recommended are bang-on reference, because the sites are drawn from a database of million stumbles, where users are actively participating by clicking on thumbs up or thumbs down. Your results become more polished as you "stumble along". You too can participate by rating the sites you visit by selecting the "thumbs up(I Like It)", or a "thumbs down" icon. This allows the StumbleUpon database to record your preferences and associate you with other like-minded web users. It is sometimes a kind of suspense as you will be surprised with the Web Pages it shows whenever the "Stumble!" button is clicked, kind of adventure in discovering New Web Sites, that you never knew existed on the Cyber World.
Other features in StumbleUpon assist in building a social network as you surf, allowing you to comment about any Web site and discuss related issues with other stumblers. You can also e-mail other users from within the application. The most important feature is the ability to integrate your Stumbler ratings into your Goggle search.
StumbleUpon helps you to sort the Wheat from the chaff but also lets you customised and tailor the experience so you will only see that content, be it, the web pages or blogs or video or photos that actually matches exactly what you had in your mind. When you find something that appeals you, It allows you to share it directly with your friends even via Twitter, email or even the Facebook(Do I see some smiling faces, LoL), and they too can share contents with you.
After a while, you’ll soon be pondering too, how the heck was I surfing the web before you stumbled upon StumbleUpon, Just like me! Don’t Blame me, if you get addicted to it and run away from MouthShut.com! Stumble Away!