I blog on new and interesting things in the technology world. But I would be remiss in not talking about this site you are on right now. The setup they use is, IMHO, one of the more advanced places where you can interact with others and gain information. On this site there is alot of talk about new gadgets and toys. There is also tons of questions and good answers.
But, wouldn't it be sweet if you could go to a community site, find articles, blogs and forums that not only have items you like to read, but also has articles and blogs that pertain to what you want to see, not what the site's author's or advertisers want you to read? Then put these importamt articles on the front page. Not buried under a ton of uninteresting stuff.
Well believe it or not, you have found the place right here.
I know this sounds like a commercial, but until you have explored this site and it's capabilities, you just haven't touched on the depth of knowledge and information that your fellow members have.
You may not know it but the Capable Networks folks, the people behind this site, have created a custom platform with the capabilities and convenience that can bring the best possible experience to every visitor. They do this by letting you vote on what is important and then the site automatically sorts the information by your ratings.
So, you kinda have, a built in DIGG it type function, right in your own website.
To make it all work, they need to know what you want to read about.
It's easy for them with the forums because of the number of views a particular post has automatically makes it more popular.
But how about the articles or blogs that are posted. How do they know what you like or what is important to you and the community as a whole?
They do it by using a rating system. Every article or blog has a rating button at the end of the post. All you have to do is simply rate the article by how you "feel" about it. They will handle the rest.
Then afterwards, the better the rating, the higher (or more prominent) the item is shown on the website.
So if you read something that is helpful or insightful, do your self and your fellow community member a favor by rating it. If you hate it or are indifferent to it, rate that also!
Then articles or blogs you think are important or that other members should read are then placed on the top of the list. No more slogging through information that no one is interested in. Articles you feel are unimportant go to the bottom. Then as they say "The cream rises to the top" good information is no longer buried under a bunch of
So as you rate things, then, for example the "Featured Articles" , will show you a list of what is important or what others think that is deserving of your attention.
In the end you have customized this site with what you want to see, not what the creators want you to read. Pretty cool, huh?
As they say "Every Vote Counts!" in this case, it really is true.
