PickDeck | Content Based on YOUR Interests
One of the largest time sucks of the internet is the vast amount of information available to us at any time right at our finger tips. Rarely do we come upon a website or web applcaitions that truly sifts through all the junk and curates the most influential and authoritative source to give to useful and value content…not spam. Enter PickDeck.
The team behind Champagne, Illinois startup and newly relaunched PickDeck is a solid core of engineers, researchers, and designers with PhDs. The newly relaunched websites is also ventured back with a headquarters located in the heart of the flighting illini, The University of Illinois. With such as solid team together it’s no wonder they’ve been able to put together such a powerful and trustworthy discovery engine. From the moment you’ve signed up, you’ll instantly see the magic at work with the team’s all-star algorithm that works behind the scenes to deliver content (or picks) tailored particularly towards your interests. All while giving you something new to share among the world or learn from a trusted source.
A trusted source, is something that most will probably roll their eyes at understandably. However, PickDeck has but in serious work to make sure that the sources of which your content is being delivered to you is in fact a ligament authoritative and industry expect. A win in my book. They’ll discover content for me…AND make sure it’s not spam. Sold.
The team keeps delivering better and better things to users. This time – no registration forms, like/don’t like, or preferences to be filled out ladies and gentlemen. Instead just sign up with Twitter, Facebook, or Google Plus and the tailoring begins. The algorithm takes over and begins discovering – more on this below with PickDeck’s CEO. As with the trusted source, I did a quick check on the sign up process, and low and behold no joke I didn’t have to do anything. Click Twitter, gave permission, then BAM. Content was a flowing based of my Twitter stream. They even generate a personalized tag cloud based upon your interests found. Pretty neat.
After trying everything out myself I was lucky enough to speak with the new CEO behind it all, Mr. Leon Cho.
How does it all work?
First we look at your public data through the social network you sign up with, to see what your interests area. Then we crawl the web and see what other people are sharing with the interests that you care about. Finally we bring all those finds back from only the experts and trusted sources.
What’s are you seeing from the Alpha?
We’re currently in an open Alpha working to learn from our customers to truly grow the product. The finding found during the Alpha’s run will help determine the depth and needed expansion of the upcoming Beta (coming soon all).
Idea behind PickDeck?
The company actually came before the idea of PickDeck. We began with researching the mathematics and algorithms behind of how people choose what they read and share online. After deep research we had started to come to the idea of what would be PickDeck. There was a load of work put in behind the understanding of people themselves. (Writer’s Note: I can only imagine the findings…) While learning to understand people, we also needed to determine who were really are the authoritative experts out there in their respected industries. After all that came what is PickDeck.com.
Can a user add their own content to share or favorite to read later?
Yes, anyone can add additional content to the site. When adding new content it’ll show up under your “favorites tabs” which is public for others to see.
Future of PickDeck?
We’ll continue to improve the algorithms base on the users’s feedback.
Check out PickDeck and join in on the public Alpha and start viewing content picked just for you.
