StumbleUpon: More Than Just Web Surfing and Killing Time

When it comes to surfing the web during your downtime at work or simply because you’re bored, there are many of us who turn to a popular Internet community called StumbleUpon. At StumbleUpon, users get to join a free community of other individuals who love to surf the web and discover new and interesting things, but could StumbleUpon prove to be more than just a device to squelch boredom? I think so.

Surf, Browse, Discover:

Then you do the hokey-pokey and you turn yourself around….eh- nevermind. StumbleUpon was originally developed back in 2001 by Geoff Smith and was subsequently released for a variety of browsers (most recently, Google Chrome). And while it may seem somewhat childish and stupid to those who don’t understand its power, it is in fact, a great tool for discovering new and interesting things. Users can discover, browse and rate anything that’s on the Internet from web pages, photos videos and blog posts, etc. The cool thing is that it is totally user based as sites are essentially promoted to other users by way of sharing web pages and ranking a web page with a written review and/or a  ”thumbs up” or “thumbs down”.

So, Why Join SU?

Not every web guru believes in the power of StumbleUpon, and for some, it may not even seem like a viable option given the industry that they are in. However, it can be an extremely powerful tool when used efficiently and correctly. The key is to not promote your own stuff by “thumbing up” all of your web pages. In fact, doing so can get you booted out of the community because, let’s face it, no one likes someone who does nothing but talk about themselves! Consider it for your future web endeavors however; and make the most of your web surfing experience.