StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon was a discovery and advertisement engine (a form of web search engine) that pushed recommends of web content to its users. Its features allowed users to discover and rate web pages, photos, and videos that were personalized to their tastes and interests using peer-sourcing and social-networking principles. The service integrated with web browsers, allowing users to stumble upon web content randomly within their interest areas. Founded in November 2001 by Garrett Camp, Geoff Smith, Justin LaFrance, and Eric Boyd during their time in graduate school at the University of Calgary, StumbleUpon was an early web tool that helped users discover new and interesting websites by randomizing their web experience.

History

StumbleUpon was launched in November 2001. The idea behind its creation was to help users discover web content they would not find using traditional search engines. In 2007, eBay acquired StumbleUpon for $75 million, but in 2009, the original founders bought it back. It continued to grow, reaching over 25 million registered users by 2012. However, with the rise of other social media platforms and changes in the digital landscape, StumbleUpon's popularity began to wane. In June 2018, StumbleUpon was officially discontinued, and its content was moved to Mix.com, a similar content curation platform created by StumbleUpon's co-founder, Garrett Camp.

Features

StumbleUpon offered several features that made it unique among web discovery platforms:

• Personalization: Users could select categories of interest and rate websites, allowing StumbleUpon's algorithms to learn and predict content that would be appealing to them.
• Stumble! button: A browser toolbar button that, when clicked, would take the user to a random site within their areas of interest.
• Peer and social-networking: Users could follow friends and share their discoveries, fostering a community of content discovery.
• Advertising platform: StumbleUpon also served as an advertising platform where advertisers could pay to have their web pages included in the stumble sequence, provided they met the quality and interest criteria.

Impact

StumbleUpon played a significant role in the early 2000s web, influencing how users discovered new online content. It was particularly noted for its ability to drive significant amounts of traffic to websites overnight. Many bloggers and content creators credited StumbleUpon with helping them reach wider audiences. Despite its decline and eventual shutdown, StumbleUpon's legacy continues through Mix.com and the concept of content discovery platforms that prioritize user interests and serendipitous exploration over algorithmic predictability.

See Also

• Web Discovery
• Social Media
• Content Curation
• Mix.com

External Links

• Mix.com