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Newsvine is a journalism resource that is powered by its online community. Content comes from syndicated media outlets and users. The site covers a number of topics, ranging from local news to sports, politics, technology, entertainment and science. The application claims to offer a “reflection of what the world is talking about at any given moment.” A built in search tool lets users explore content by keyword, name or event. The homepage highlights the most active stories along with top seeds. Article pages provide users with a snippet, headline and a list of similar articles recommended to the user. Users can click a “Read Article” button to access the story from its original source. Users can also show their support or agreement for an article by voting for it.

Newsvine was founded in March of 2005 by Mark Budos, Lance Anderson, Mike Davidson and Calvin Tang. The company, based in Seattle, was acquired by MSNBC.com on October 5th, 2007. Despite the acquisition, Newsvine remains a separate website from MSNBC.com. Most users give Newsvine positive ratings and reviews. The site lets users view a lot of news content in one place. Some users felt intimidated by the large amount of content that appears as soon as they arrive on the website.

There are many news outlets available on the web. Newsvine is appealing because it offer social features and a stronger focus on what users want to read rather than what media wants to report on. Users promote stories by voting on them or commenting to begin discussions. Users can also view other user profiles to see what their friends are reading and posting on. The application combines regular news reading with social networking elements.

Newsvine focuses entirely on news content, which is both good and bad for the site. The overall design is neat and orderly, with a deep green header and light background. The problem is that there is so much text that a newcomer may feel put off. It is hard to know where to start and the large banner ads scattered throughout do nothing to help the site’s visual appeal. The site becomes easier to navigate as the user familiarizes themselves with the various features and pages.

A new user can join the Newsvine community by clicking the black “Register” link in the upper, right hand corner (under the green header). The user is taken to the registration form after clicking the light grey “Register” button found in the drop down box that appears below the header. The form asks for an email address, password, display name, desired Newsvine address and Captcha code. The user is advised that they must check their inbox for further instructions. This must be done before the user can login to their new account.

Newsvine offers its services and content to all users for free. There are no subscription fees and all users receive the same level of access. Free is the best option for Newsvine. The application is clearly supported by advertisements. User participation also helps the community improve top stories and recommendations. The application provides users with a quick, easy and free way to take in a lot of news content.

Newsvine is ideal for anyone who enjoys reading news stories online. The application contains a number of stories from many resources. Uses can browse by category or search for specific stories. The application encourages user participation through voting, commenting and profiles. User who like to get involved in news can really appreciate the way Newsvine relies on its community to add opinions and priority to its content.

• Popular news categories are available for browsing
• Built in search helps users find stories by keyword
• Voting gives users a way to support a story they like
• Recommended stories are provided when users review a headline
• Comments can be posted to news story pages
• User profiles show recommendations, posts and other activity

Newsvine video

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