StumbleUpon: what it is and how to use it
StumbleUpon is a social bookmarking community. The idea behind social bookmarking is simple: instead of bookmarking the web pages you like so that you can access them through your browser and only you see them, instead you bookmark them (or like or whatever. ) on a website like StumbleUpon. This still keeps the bookmark for you, but it also allows others to see what you find interesting.
When you sign up for StumbleUpon, you create a profile and identify certain categories that interest you. For example, you can choose “science” or “writing.” You can also find and follow your friends, just like you do on Facebook or Twitter. Following your friends allows you to see which pages they bookmarked.
What makes StumbleUpon so interesting is the “stumble” feature at its core. When you go to the main page, you will see a bar at the top that has a “stumble” button, as well as other typical social media icons such as likes and comments. If you’ve configured your interests, you can “stumble upon” them, allowing you to browse the web according to specific categories.
StumbleUpon has classified some of the web pages that you will browse, but many of the pages that you will see are the ones that other users have bookmarked. In fact, when you come across a page that is someone’s bookmarked, the toolbar at the top will show you a username, which you can click to see more of that person’s bookmarked pages or to follow. to that person.
Certain popular websites, such as Mashable or FunnyorDie, have their own StumbleUpon channels, which allow you to navigate through their website. This is a quick and easy way to browse your favorite sites and share them with your friends.
You are not limited to sharing your favorite sites only on your profile page. The toolbar also allows you to share the page directly to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
For bloggers and businesses, the site’s submission feature allows you to directly submit your web pages to the community as one of your bookmarks. With millions of visitors every day, StumbleUpon is a powerful means of promoting your brand and does not offer the same penalties as other social bookmarking sites. (Reddit, for example, will prevent you from submitting new pages if you only submit your own.)
Whether you choose to use it for personal enjoyment or as a promotional effort, StumbleUpon is guaranteed to present you with pages and websites that you probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise.