Phoja - Build Discussions Around Photos

Phoja is a new social community that is focused around photographs.

At first glance, it seemed like a Flickr-Digg mashup with its ranking system, but then I realized the differences, and the true potential that Phoja has.

This Melbourne-based startup was established in mid-2007 with an aim to encourage social discussion and community recommendations based on photographs.

The way I see it, there are 2 primary ways in which Phoja can be beneficial for users. Not including, of course, the benefits from being able to post from a mobile phone or by email.

First, you may have taken (or come across on the web) a photo that stirs a lot of thoughts, and you would like to know what comes to the minds of others when it is seen. Just put it on Phoja, and others can post their comments.

The second way is best described by an example. Let's say you were searching the web, and came across this picture:

It seems like a nice monitor configuration, and you become interested in purchasing a similar monitor. But, there's just one problem. You have no idea, what brand it is, what size, or even whether the monitor comes stock with the swivel ability or if it is using a custom stand.

That's is the problem that user AlexM had, which led him to ask on Phoja and create a community discussion.

There are dozens of similar ways in which a discussion could help you find out much more than a photograph alone. Each post has its own title (instead of only a number and tags like flickr), where you can either enter a catchy headline or a question.

What's most interesting about this new service is the ranking system, which is based on comments rather than the actual photo. Comments are rated on Digg-style (voted Up or Down with points) by the users, which ultimately determines the number of points that each photo has.

Even more, Phoja offers commenters the opportunity to earn money through Google AdSense with a unique program. In their profiles, Phoja users can provide their AdSense client ID. If a user's comments receive the maximum points in a photo post based on the votes from other users, then the AdSense proceeds from that post page will be awarded to that user, the winning commentor.

Another bonus is that the media posting form is short, making it very quick and simple for new users to get right in on the action. You still have to enter those annoying alphanumeric phrases though.

Phoja provides a dash of innovation in a field that is littered with clones and alternatives. It stands out for its differences, and has potential to grow into a very useful community. The service is still in beta, so provide feedback about flaws or desired features.