Streamy – Invites to the Alt Digg

Today Streamy Co-Founder Donald Mosites provided the catalyst for further discussion about the “Digg Killer” phenomenon we touched on last night. Streamy is a news networking service that has been swept into this “Digg Killer” maelstrom. However this superbly designed platform should be classified as “Alt Digg” because it is just an alternative. I doubt CBS news or ABC news were ever dubbed the “NBC News Killer”, and Streamy's founders really have no such claims either. Donald and I chatted earlier today and he offered our readers some invitations to this much anticipated private beta.

Alt Digg

I was perhaps (well actually was) the first blogger to test this very cool news network startup back in July. It is ironic that in my article for ReadWriteWeb I was actually concerned about predictions and the “Digg Killing” cliche even then. I believe Donald and Streamy's other Founder Jonathan Gray also expressed concerns over being overly hyped. Streamy was then and is now a next generation social news networking platform. An apt description or tag line for Streamy is an alternative to Digg – as Don and I agreed today.

Subscription finder atop private group

Streamy Revisited

Streamy uses an intuitive UI and Web 2.0 features to engage people with news. The function of the platform and its flexibility is what differentiates it from Digg, Netscape and others. Drag and drop function combined with deep graphics and communications make Streamy's content more useful and enjoyable for users. In Don's own words: “Streamy is built to read, share and discuss the best stories on the Web”, and that is just what the platform is great for. To reiterate some of the features of Streamy and what users can do with it here is the short list:

• Handle Streams – Save, share, comment, find subscriptions, create filters and discuss
• Community - Interact via status stream, personal info, groups, friends and advanced IM
• Options - Configure Streamy's environment, your password, theme and other enablers
• Sharing Zones – Drag and drop news for saving or sharing between windows (cool)

Streamy is a true Web 2.0 social network with well thought out capabilities. In fact Don made a point of stressing that Steamy is not a simple aggregation of other sites' best features, but a stand alone next generation interactive news network. According to him more features were discarded than are used in their effort to streamline and perfect the platform.

What is Streamy?

The power of Ajax and the developer's intuitive and innovative approach to news and data gathering are what make this startup special. In a nutshell Steamy makes news and other stories a social event and an enjoyable experience. One might equate the relative experience to the drive in back in the day versus viewing a movie inside one of the great old Theaters with the great seats. Streamy's goal is to evolve and interact with people and news in new and exciting ways. Streamy is a rich – real time experience in a world of sites in slow motion with limited communication and community.

Conclusion

Streamy is not a “killer” at all, but RSS readers may need to rethink their UI's soon. Instead of looking for the “Digg Killer” we should all be looking for the best “Alt Digg or Alt Google in my opinion. Streamy is one of the nicest startups I have tested this year. Donald originally intended to release some new features today but decided to keep them in alpha until they are perfected. This is one thing that is evident on Streamy, nearly every aspect flows well and much attention has been paid to details.

Communication, aesthetics, discoverability, navigation, flexibility and a great environment make Streamy the Alt Digg. News may never be the same if these developers continue as they have to refine the experience for users. As I said, Donald provided us with a limited number of invitations. Please leave a “legible” mail address in the comments section so that we can get these out. Be advised these are limited, so get your contact info in early.

Sharing a back story with alternate skin