TechFold - Bold tech & web commentary

Me.dium is Ma.rginal

I just read about technically impressive social browsing app Me.dium taking a boatload of funding, courtesy of R/WW. R/WW’s Alex Iskold takes the position that Me.dium is filling the fourth corner in his scope vs. speed/size chart - i.e.: that there are usage scenarios for collabortive browing in both productivity and casual discovery.

From what I understand of Me.dium (I’ll be honest here - I’ve gotten most of my knowledge of it from the RW/W postings), using the app would be akin to doing all of your reading at the bookstore: I’d be in the science fiction section reading whatever, and everyone else in the section would be able to see what I was reading and vice versa - a cluster of people around a particular book could drive me to check it out, or others could look at the pile of read books beside my seat and “discover” new reading.

That’s cool, and there are definite applications - trip planning is one of Alex’s examples which I’ve experienced first-hand, collaboratively browsing the travel section with my wife. Generally speaking, however, my inner-curmudgeon makes me think that I’d prefer to do the vast majority of my browsing at home, interacting on my own terms (Blog comments, etc.) - i.e.: I spend very little time reading at the bookstore trying to meet people.

Me.dium has niche appeal, but the marginal benefit of using it, relative to more-focused social networking (Facebook) or discovery (stumbleupon, cluztr) tools is compartively low from where I’m sitting. Perhaps I need to spend more (any) time in Me.dium - I’ll add it to the queue.

Other Coverage

1. R/WW’s orignal me.dium post, with privacy concerns.
2. alarm:clock points out the interest Elon Musk family connection.
3. Rex Dixon sums up my feelings better than I did.
4. Feld thoughts is bullish, looking at me.dium as one facet of the next stage of internet evolution.
5. Venture Beat sees me.dium as a big source of value to advertisers.

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