Stumbling: "the act of bopping haphazardly around the internet", take this one step further and you have Stumble Upon the newest way to stay entertained. Known as an "internet community" or a "personalized recommendation engine", Stumble Upon allows it's users to discover and rate related web pages on a social network.
Stumble Upon is a perfect example of a personal shift because it's a collection of personal webpages which can be accessed through a single site. It takes surfing the internet to the next level because Stumble Upon is not only a search engine but a social network. You can post comments, bookmark your favorite sites, and even e-mail friends with pages you think they'd like.
It's also an example of an aesthetic shift because, after searching iTunes I found audio and video podcasts that you could download instead of using the website. So if you're on the go or unable to use your computer you can watch a video or listen to a podcast on your iPod, iTouch, or iPhone about any one of the numerous random stories Stumble Upon chooses to publish.
Besides being an entertainment device, Stumble Upon makes surfing the web easier because you can limit your searches based on categories. Made possible by the Stumble Upon toolbar users can shape their content by selecting the "like" or "dislike" buttons. Not only is Stumble Upon a social network in and of itself, but it allows its users to connect to other networks such as Facebook and Twitter through use of the icons on its toolbar. Along with the social network trafficking you can also share webpages with friends via e-mail.
Without the "innovation of digital communication... [which makes] media convergence possible because it enables all media content to be created in the same basic way" (51) Stumble Upon, along with other online sites, wouldn't be able to exist.
Stumble Upon houses sites from:
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Excellent meditations on STUMBLE UPON, Anya.
ReplyDeleteNice application of the tool sets.
I gotta play with Stumble Upon more, don't I?
W