All About StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon Hot Web 2.0 Social Bookmarking

Ok I have to admit, social bookmarking has not really been my thing. Hell, I barley have time to return all emails daily, much less bookmark sites. BUT….. I happen to come across StumbleUpon and LOVE it! I have found so many very cool websites about all topics.

StumbleUpon helps you discover and share great websites. You download a free tool bar to use on your browser. When you click on the Stumble button, Stumbleupon will send you sites and pages based on the Topics that you choose.

Using search engines to locate relevant content typically means hunting through pages of results. Rather than searching for quality web sites, StumbleUpon members are taken directly to web sites matching their personal interests and preferences. People-Driven Technology:

Using a combination of human opinions and machine learning to immediately deliver relevant content, StumbleUpon presents only web sites which have been suggested by other like-minded Stumblers. Each time the ‘Stumble’ button is clicked, the user is presented with a high quality web site based on the collective opinions of other like-minded web surfers. Easy to Use, Community-based surfing:

The StumbleUpon Toolbar is integrated with the user’s browser to allow for one-click access to quality web sites. A simple 2-level rating system gives users the opportunity to pass on or give their opinion on any webpage with a single click. These ratings also connect people sharing unique combinations of interests. Stumblers share their favorite web sites and interact with other users to further improve their web surfing experience. A Personalized Browsing Tool:

StumbleUpon offers nearly 500 topics which users may choose to indicate their interests and preferences so each Stumble produces only the most relevant content. StumbleUpon delivers increasingly relevant content as the Toolbar learns what the user has liked in the past and continues to present quality web sites in the future. Combats Information Overload:

Information on the Internet changes rapidly. StumbleUpon is a dynamic approach to keep on top of this ever-evolving pool of knowledge. StumbleUpon filters through the vast amount of information on the web to direct Stumblers to high quality web sites which are relevant to their personal interests. An obscure but interesting site can be immediately shared with other like-minded users. Old or low-quality sites can be removed if their ratings become too low. The participation of community members helps maintain a database of the most up-to-date and highest quality sites possible.

Are You Willing to risk being banned from StumbleUpon?

I personally really like StumbleUpon for many reasons. I love finding new websites and love the traffic StumbleUpon sends to my websites. Honestly I get enough traffic from StumbleUpon that I would never risk being banned.

There is a new product on the market for sale that is used to “bait” people into stumbling content. When I say bait, I mean getting people to thumbs up content no matter the type of quality. The StumbleUpon Traffic Generator may seem like a smart move to increase website traffic, but it is like playing with fire, as if you get caught you will get burned by StumbleUpon. I would link to this product, however, I do not want to send them any business or link juice, as this traffic generator is against the TOS.

The software works by offering StumbleUpon users a “gift” of some sort in exchange for a stumble or invites non StumbleUpon members to sign up and then come back to claim their gift. The StumbleUpon TOS clearly stats you can not “bait” people for stumbles. When the software is installed on a blog, the blog owner can edit what is given away in exchange for the thumbs up. If you want to check out their sales page just go to google and search for StumbleUpon Traffic Generator.

Why is this StumbleUpon Traffic Generator bad idea? Other than the fact StumbleUpon does not want to be filled with spam or trash content and the fact it is against the TOS, I guess nothing. I use SU daily, and get really pissed when I come across junk so I know many other users do as well.

I will never risk being banned from StumbleUpon or my websites from being banned. I would love more traffic from SU, but that will come in time as more and more people enjoy the content of a site.

Would you risk being banned from StumbleUpon in hopes to increase your traffic?