Young Entrepreneur Blog

StumbleUpon has had a whopping 4 million downloads, and to celebrate we have a world exclusive interview with the top 30 users of Stumbleupon.comToday we are speaking with Stumbleupon top user: Jmdcpa

How long have you been an active user of StumbleUpon?
Almost 3 years.

What makes you use StumbleUpon more than the other social sites such as Digg, Del.icio.us etc…?
It’s not that I use it more, I just use it differently. I use Digg more for current news. Digg is temporary but SU is more permanent and archival in nature. I use SU to bookmark, share great sites and drive traffic to sites who deserve it, like musicians, artists, independent journalists and social entrepreneurs. I have friends on SU who contact me and send me great sites. SU seems to attract more intelligent, thoughtful and decent people. I’ve learned so much and shared so much with others that SU has become very important to me.

If you could make one positive change to the current Stumbleupon platform, what would it be?
I would like to be able to search just my Stumbles. Sometimes it’s hard finding a site I know I’ve reviewed.

What don’t you like about the current StumbleUpon platform?
It’s hard to manage friends. With the 200 friend limit, I need to clean out the dead wood once in a while and it’s cumbersome to see who’s become inactive. I’d like to have unlimited friends or at least 1,000. 200 is way too low.

What are the main factors you look for in content that you feel is worth stumbling?
Making the world a better place. Improving people’s lives. Informing people about what’s really going on.

Is there anything that puts you off stumbling an article?
An ugly website. Lack of evidence supporting claims in the article. Poor writing.

What sort of topics interest you the most?
Politics, government, health, energy, technology, environment.

What advice would you give to a brand new user of Stumbleupon?
Be yourself. Review sites that promote what you’re interested in. Don’t add friends until they’ve reviewed at least 1,000 sites. many people lose interest in SU and you don’t want inactive friends.
Do you ever get thanked by the site owners after you stumble their content?
Rarely. Usually it’s a blogger.
Has anyone ever tried to bribe you into stumbling their content?
Yes. I refused.

Do you own a website? And if so, what have been your biggest StumbleUpon successes from your site?
I just have a blog so I haven’t had any ’successes.’

What are your thoughts on stumbling your own content?
I’m fine with it. Getting information out is what matters. Knowledge is power.

What are your thoughts on Linkbait and people creating content with the sole aim of getting traffic from sites like Stumbleupon?
I’m not familiar with Linkbait but getting traffic is what the internet is all about. If it’s a quality site, then people will return. If not, they won’t.

Are you influenced by factors like authority of the website, design of the website etc? And if so, what sort of things do you specifically look for?
Absolutely! Misinformation abounds and I don’t want to give a thumbs up to some lunatic. People trust my Stumbles and I don’t want to lose that trust. Design is also important, as is functionality. I hate sites that don’t display right in Firefox. I love slick Flash sites!

Why do you feel you are in the top 30 most powerful users of StumbleUpon?
I spend way too much time on the net. I’m passionate about alternative health, nutrition, the environment, politics and peace, so I want to inspire others to become informed and to become activists. The world is saved one person at a time.

What advice would you give to anyone who wanted to get into the top 30?
It’s not a race. Endurance is more important than speed. Look for quality, lesser-known sites. Get out of the main stream. Listen to and read alternative independent news and stumble the guests and sites mentioned. Magazines provide the best in depth reporting these days. I recommend The Atlantic, Harpers, Mother Jones, Ode and Discover. Follow your passions and you will do well.

Great interview, Dean. Thanks!

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