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Stumbleupon

Get ready for latest big thing which is set to change the way we surf the web, writes Andrew Stucken

Techie types are tipping Stumbleupon to become the next online craze – while some pundits claim it has already overtaken Google for website ranking importance.

What is it? Stumbleupon is a browser plug-in - a piece of free software that users simply download and install. It works with both Internet Explorer and Firefox. Stumbleupon was acquired by auction site eBay earlier this year and has grown rapidly since.

How do I get it? Download from www.stumbleupon.com Stumbleupon installs a toolbar in your web browser - a little strip at the top of the page containing various buttons.

Stumbleupon works by recommendation. The idea is that its registered members – now approaching four million in number – vote on the quality of sites. Thus through a vast panel of judges sites are democratically ranked.

So it's a vastly-improved browser that filters out the dross? Not exactly, in as much as you do not simply search on a subject of your choosing a la Google.

How exactly do I use it then? Users choose from a long list of categories when they register - so you only receive results based on your interests. When you want to use Stumbleupon, click on the 'Stumble' button on the far left of the toolbar. You will be taken to a page based on your interests, previous history and others' recommendations. It is like channel-surfing on the web.

So it's more of a refined surfing tool than a search engine? Exactly. Based on my brief road testing it certainly does turn up good quality sites. It will not rival Google, Yahoo! and Co for the ability to ferret out any information at will. But anyone who surfs for pleasure and wants to home in on genuinely useful and interesting sites should try it.