I've mentioned this before, and I can't emphasize it enough, it you use Facebook or other social media, you should LIKE and FOLLOW Upworthy. First, they're on our side; the right has nothing to compare to this. Second, they create really great images and teaser text that make people want to click the link to see what it's all about. I just checked my Facebook news feed for the first time today, and this post did it's job. It made me want to click.
Clicking the link takes you to a short, informative video with this introduction:
If you ever want to use an argument that has no basis in reality and is horribly short-sighted, simply follow the example set by Fox News. They make "reporting" on the "news" look "worthwhile." At least, that's what some people say.
I don't know about you, but one of the main reasons I enjoy spending time at DailyKos is because of the diversity of this community and the topics discussed. It's not just all politics, all the time. There's enlightenment and eduction to be had by reading the diaries about a multitude of topics, including culture, food, climate change and the weather, genealogy, history, and of course, pooties and woozles.
Visiting Facebook is a totally different experience. My favorite part about Facebook is being able to stay in touch and keep up with the lives of close family and friends who are literally all over the world with two cousins in the military overseas. In addition to actual personal news, a visit to my news feed also includes a lot of shared links to photos and videos. In many respects, I think some of the videos and photos I see shared are a meaningless waste of time.
The people behind Upworthy must have thought the same thing about things they were seeing shared on all over the Internet. The difference is, these brilliant people (see article below the fleur-de-orange) looked at all the nonsense and asked themselves, how can we turn this incessant sharing into something positive? I like what they came up with in answer to the question. It reminds me of something my mother always told me: Nothing bad ever happens to you if you can take what you learn from the experience and help somebody else.
Upworthy is not just about politics. A lot of their posts include topics like history, science, education, and social issues. Quite frankly, they live up to their tag line ... Share Better. They making becoming an informed citizen fun ... you often don't even realize you're learning something because they make it fun!
One of the most interesting things I learned thanks to Upworthy, is why we vote on Tuesdays. I never knew that. I found it especially interesting considering the Republican push to change voter laws. It made me wonder why we aren't pushing back, demanding that voting be changed to the weekends, when a large number of citizens in this country wouldn't have to take time off from work in order to vote.
Talk about pictures that will make your friends curious and want to click, don't you think a lot of people will click on this picture to see what's going on with these identical twin brothers?
If you are not a Facebook user, you still can keep up with Upworthy at it's site. The one and only negative thing I have to say about the site, is if you want to go back and look at previous posts that do not appear on the home page, the navigation to do that is not easily available. But, the good news is I have found a way around it by bookmarking the pages for their individual editors:
♥ Maegan Carberry — I've written a lot about pop culture and politics, and registered a lot of voters. I'm Upworthy's "Viral Curator," which means a strange monkey bit me and now I want you to share my posts on your Facebook page. Speaking of which, you can do that by following me here. Also on Twitter and Pinterest, if you'd be so kind.
♥ Sara Critchfield — I believe that our world is at its best when we elevate love, justice, freedom and respect as our highest values. I curate cool stuff on Upworthy so others can spread that message, too. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter if you wanna help me change the world.
♥ Rebecca Eisenberg — I'm Rebecca. Here is a list of words that describe me: nerd, feminist, pop culture nut, comedy fan, TV enthusiast, carnivore, Trekkie, bad at bio-writing, good at list-making. I'm hoping to make the world a better place by blogging in my pajamas. You can also find me sharing more awesome Upworthy content on Facebook, posting lots of miscellaneous pop culture and feminist stuff on Tumblr, and talking about a lot of things (but mostly bad movies) on Twitter.
♥ Mansur Gidfar — I'm a graphic designer by day and a raving political junkie by night. My hobbies include hiking, blues guitar, and yelling at the TV. You can catch me on Twitter or lurking on Reddit.
♥ Tyler G. Hall — [Tyler is new to Upworthy, and doesn't seem to have written his intro yet.
♥ Adam Mordecai — I get paid to find snarky things that matter from the interwebs and share them with you. I think that is awesome. I also think the media needs to remember how to do its job. And that Jon Stewart is some sort of oracle. You can find me on Twitter, subscribe to my stuff on Facebook, and read my long winded ranting on Quora.
♥ Jessica Plautz — I've got an eye for design, a journalist's sensibility, and a quirky sense of humor. I believe a free press supports an informed democracy. You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook, or check out my blog.
♥ Kaye Toal — I'm here because the Internet is really AWESOME but also really MASSIVE, and I believe things would be a lot better if people knew just how much awesome is out there. You can find me tweeting only the Upworthiest of life observations on Twitter or blogging about super-scary feminist issues on Tumblr.
♥ Rollie Williams — I'm high in fiber — both moral and regular. I'm also a comedian and a writer leading a very Upworthy life in Denver. If you're brave enough, check out my cool cool blog or follow me on my hot hot Twitter.
You can also find Upworthy on
Twitter,
Tumblr, and my favorite is to check in every once in a while to the blog they set up for
Mitt, Venn And Now. Whatever your preferred method of using social media, do yourself a favor and follow Upworthy ... for great pictures, videos and information so you can
Share Better too.
Want to learn more about Upworthy? There's a great article at The New York Times that explains how they got started and what they're all about.
What if this article began with a link to a chart on media consolidation? Would you click it?
What if, instead, this article began with a promise that it would tell you “The Real Reason They Still Play ‘Mrs. Robinson’ on the Radio.” Would you click that?
What if they were both the same thing?
Upworthy, a news aggregation site that began publishing on March 26, is serious news built for a spreadable age, with super clicky headlines and a visually oriented user interface. Eli Pariser, the former executive director of MoveOn.org, and Peter Koechley, a former managing editor of The Onion who also worked at MoveOn, noticed that much of the media that gets shared online is built on cute animals and dumb humans that are good for a laugh, but not much else.
With the backing of Chris Hughes, one of the founders of Facebook who recently bought The New Republic, the pair and a staff of 11 people in eight cities are promoting information and news that has serious dimensions, using the tendency of the social media world to share stories. “We want to give people the information and tools that help make them better, more aware citizens,” said Mr. Pariser. Their version of citizenry tilts left, or as Mr. Pariser put it, “people who believe global warming exists and gay people should be able to get married.”
Continue Reading ... Two Guys Made a Web Site, and This Is What They Got