Sttumble Upon

• The Bottom Line

StumbleUpon is very easy to use. Since all you need to do is download the toolbar, install it, and pick your topics, you can be up and running in about two minutes. It's not as helpful if you are looking for something specific, but it is a lot of fun and a great time killer.

• Pros

It can be a lot of fun if you have some time to kill.
The toolbar is easy to access and simple to use.
Rating websites has never been easier.

• Cons

Writing reviews for existing websites could be easier.
Changing your interests is confusing.
Not as useful if you are looking for something specific.

• Description

Social Bookmarking from the comfort of your browser.
Rate sites and visit new sites with the click of a button.
Send interesting websites to friends.
Guide Review - StumbleUpon


StumbleUpon really is very easy to use, and you don't have to do much more than install the toolbar and pick your interests to enjoy it. But you will get the most mileage by befriending users with similar interests and joining groups that correspond to those interests. This will help StumbleUpon do a better job at finding websites that interest you.

As with all social websites, user participation is key. You don't have to participate to enjoy the benefits of StumbleUpon, but they have made it easy to give a thumbs up to websites you like, and a thumbs down to sites you just don't think cut it.

• A Few Kinks in the System

Stumble Upon can be a lot of fun, but it is not a great tool if you are looking for something specific. It's better used for discovering new websites you might not have otherwise found.

It's pretty easy to write a review if you are the one discovering the site. The toolbar will pop up a window for you to pick the website's topic and there is a space to write a quick review. But, if the site has already been discovered, you have to click the reviews button and then click the review this page button. It would be nice to have a button in the toolbar dedicated to adding your own review.

Modifying your interests could also be a little easier. You do this by clicking the tools button and choosing update topics, but it can be easy to confuse this with profile preferences.