March 12, 2007
Websurfing with StumbleUpon
If you like to surf the net for interesting websites that you've never seen before, StumbleUpon may be just the thing for you.
StumbleUpon, is a Firefox extension which, when you click on its button in your menu bar, it takes you to a website which it thinks you might like. You can then rate that site with a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Or simply click again to see a new site.
Initially it shows you websites based on a list of subjects which you told it you're interested in. But as you use it, marking sites with a thumbs up or down, it starts to learn more about what you like and it gets better at suggesting things.
From time to time StumbleUpon will ask you other questions to fine-tune its ideas on what you like.
According to its website, StumbleUpon also has a social component, in that it will help you meet people who like the same kinds of websites that you do.
I haven't gotten into that part yet... we'll see... but as Chris Penn would say, you can't have too many friends.
I've been playing with StumbleUpon for a couple of days now and it's taken me to a bunch of fascinating sites. For a change of pace in your websurfing give stumbleupon a try.
Download the firefox extension from www.stumbleupon.com/