Mathew's Thoughts and Such

Last Monday afternoon something great came out of beta for all on the internets (yes I say internets instead of internet) to enjoy. No, I’m certainly not talking about Google Wave, as I have yet to even be able to get into the beta. I’m talking about GetGlue.com, a social recommendation network for people to discover new things (music, movies, videogames, tech, people, etc.) and talk about their interest with others as they browse sites like Amazon, Last.fm, Netflix, Wikipedia, IMDB.com and many others (see the full list of supported sites). GetGlue.com works in conjunction with the Glue browser add-on, also known as the Gluebar (currently available for Firefox and Internet Explorer), as you make your way across the internets you will see the bar appear at the bottom of the browser while you are browsing through books, music, movies, people, etc.. The bar will not only allow you to discover new things similar to your interest but also people with similar interest to yours. You can also read reviews, see what your friends have to say and even find out where you can buy whatever it is you are looking at. All of this can either be done through the Gluebar (so you never have to leave the page that you are on) or on GetGlue.com.

I have been using the Gluebar add-on since it’s inception last year. It was an interesting add-on that had an integrated profile system that overlayed on top of the browser. While it allowed you fast access to people’s profiles, it was very limited in features and it was quickly obvious that if Glue was to grow the people at AdaptiveBlue were going to have to figure out something new to do with the profiles. Thus, the “re-birth” of GetGlue.com, whose sole purpose before was just to be a gateway for people to download the add-on. Now when you view someone’s profile (or your own) you can do so as a webpage, along with being able to hover over a person’s icon on the Gluebar. While both ways will provide you with some of the same information, the webpage version of a person’s profile will provide more in-depth  information. The information you can view includes things like: a person’s stats (page visits, likes, comments, etc.), stickers (something along the lines of Xbox Live Achievements), a stream of their recent activity or interest and of course profile information.

In the last paragraph I mentioned stickers, these are something you earn as you browse the internets and/or use Glue. These, as I said before, are like the XBL Achievements or badges that you get for accomplishing certain feats in other places. To earn these stickers you have to do things like: view a certain number of movies, books, shows, etc., browse people’s profiles on GetGlue.com, like and comment on items online using the Gluebar and pretty much just surf the internet. You don’t have to worry about TRYING to gain the stickers because you will easily do so as you just surf the internet and use Glue.

Along with gaining stickers something else you can also do is become a Guru for something. Now, don’t worry, you don’t have to go through some sort of test or anything like that. All you have to do is just converse about a certain book, TV show, person, etc. and show that you know what you are talking about. There can only be one Guru per item on GetGlue.com, so when you become a Guru of something you are the one that others can look to as knowing what they are talking about. Hell, you can even brag to your friends on Facebook and Twitter with a press of a button when you gain new stickers or become a Guru.

As you use the Gluebar and browse around GetGlue.com you will continue to discover many great little details throughout the service. Like the ability to watch Youtube videos of a movie, show, band, etc. without having to leave the page you are on. The “Things in Common” section that is on everyone’s profile, allowing you to easily see just how much you have in common with that person. And everything about Glue just looks great, the people of AdaptiveBlue really put a lot of thought and effort into not only bring forth a great functioning service, but something that is also very visually pleasing.

So, if you aren’t already a Glue user you need to get over to GetGlue.com now and give the service a try. You won’t regret it and I guarantee that in short time you will discover a lot of things that you never knew were out there. Hell, just today I discovered a brand new (to me at least) band and currently I have Amazon open in another tab with music waiting for my purchase. Oh, and one last thing, feel free to check out my profile on GetGlue.com and follow me if you think we have some similar interest. Yes, yes, I had to get in the cheap plug for my own profile.