Wis.dm

Infobox Website
name = Wis.dm


caption = Accessed (Screenshot Date Here)
url = http://wis.dm
slogan = "Question Everything"
type = Social networking website
registration = Required
launch date = Early 2007
current status = Active Wis.dm (read "wisdom") is a unique social networking website based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wis.dm revolves around user-submitted questions; members ask, answer, and discuss questions in a variety of specialized forums, called "scenes." As of October, 2008, Wis.dm has over 64,000 registered users.

Questions

Questions are the central feature of Wis.dm. Users are free to pose any question they desire to the user-base. Although limited to 130 characters, each question may be supplemented by a "details" section, containing text, images, video, and web links. Currently, there are 8 preset formats in which questions can be phrased.

* Yes Or No - Conventional, binary questions which are answered with either a "yes" or "no" response.

* Have You Ever - An alternate form of a "Yes Or No" question that automatically begins with "Have you ever..."

* How Many - An open-ended question that can be answered with numbers.

* Free Poll - An open-ended question that can be answered with words or phrases.

* Poll The Crowd - Multiple-choice questions which may feature 3-5 possible responses.

* Would You Rather - Binary, multiple-choice questions that have users pick between two given possibilities.

* Which Is Better/Worse - Another form of binary, multiple-choice question, these ask users to choose the most/least favorable of two options.

* Rate This - Technically not questions, these ask users to rate the content in the "details" section on a scale from 1 to 5.

Scenes

Scenes are specialized forums and social venues that cater to different moods, motives, and topics. There are currently 20 scenes.

* Broadcast You (Television): Get in on big media. Have your say. Be the broadcast voice of the next generation.

* Canvass (Politics): Poll, stump, campaign, complain. Global citizens and ideological campers unite to debate our commonwealth.

* Cashet (Money): Wheel, deal and get down to business. From markets to movers, careers to cashflow – find out what you need to grow.

* Daily Dispatch (News): Stay informed on the goings-on of the world – and discuss breaking news as it happens.

* Eco mania (Environment): From solar power to sustainability, explore cleaner, greener ways to fuel our future and save our web of life.

* Nexus (Science & Technology): Eureka! Explore and discuss the breakthrough discoveries and technologies that are changing the world in which we live.

* Perks (Family): Share your values and views over a cup of hot brew. Post your perspective and express your original take on the latest buzz, trash-talking celebrities and how to survive with your intellect intact in suburbia.

* Re:Create (Arts & Entertainment): Reinvent, rediscover, and re:create. The ultimate hangout to promote your creative side, get a fix for your media addiction, or wax poetic about everything from music, art and movies, to food, fashion and photos.

* Schooled (Education): A community classroom where you can lecture and learn. Discuss homework woes, college loans, elementary education, advanced degrees and everything in between.

* Scoreboard (Sports): For winners, whiners and fanatics – the biggest names, the baddest rivalries. No hedging your bets here at Scoreboard. Lay your knowledge on the line.

* Sublime (Relationships): Quench your thirst for information and conversation – as you unwind from the nine-to-five. Flirt, spark up new friendships, and speak your mind.

* The Bazaar (Shopping): Share your shopping savvy, offer reviews, and see what others have to recommend. Whether you’re a seasoned spender or trying to hone your buying prowess, The Bazaar will instruct and enlighten.

* The Boudoir (After Hours): Find someone to love just for the night, or maybe a little longer. Let your guard down, have a little harmless fun, redefine your boundaries. For best results, use real pictures and locations. Note: The Boudoir is hidden and can only be accessed by members who are at least 18 years of age.

* The Counter Culture Cafe (Culture): Navigate the norms of culture and community. Question the rituals and conventions of the status quo. Break free.

* The Supposium (Opinion): Let the public know what’s what. Come here if you’re looking to engage in some heated debate about the factors that play pivotal roles in our society. Speak up and be heard.

* Thrive (Health & Fitness): Tips and techniques to slim-down, shape-up – and live long. It’s good fun that’s good for you.

* Travelcade (Travel): Share what you’ve seen and learned on your journeys – from exotic destinations to little-know neighborhood gems. Get tips on traveling smart, and share your worldly wis.dm.

* Turnstyle (Style): Embellish! Fashion, beauty, style, cooking and decorating tips that make everything beautiful by design.

* Wis.dm Town Hall (Wis.dm): An experiment in virtual democracy where members can have a say in the management and the future of the wis.dm community.

* Yes and Know (Life): It’s wis.dm the way it was. A nod to a bygone binary era when life was simpler, and “Yes” or “No” was all we needed.

Other Features

* Points - Calculated by a secret algorithm, users accumulate points through general Wis.dm activity (asking/answering/discussing questions, etc.).

* Subscriptions - Users may subscribe to any scene, topic, or question-type they wish. All questions asked within these subscription criteria appear in the "my wis.dm subscriptions" box.

* Topics - Questions can be "tagged" with relevant topics/categories (e.g. "Politics," "Religion," etc.). This feature allows users to browse questions within specific areas of interest.

* Question Popularity - Each question has a hidden value of "popularity," determined by how many answers/comments it receives and how frequently it receives them. Popular questions will be displayed sooner within their respective topics and scenes.

* Flags - Users may flag questions as "Wise" or "Unwise", influencing their popularity. Inappropriate questions can also be reported to Wis.dm administrators.

* Friends/Fans - Members may designate other users as "friends." By doing so, you become their "fan." All questions asked by your friends will appear in the "my wis.dm inbox."

* Statuses - Active users will be given an updated status that informs their friends of whether they are online, as well as which scene they are participating in.

* Matches - All question responses are kept on record and are used to calculate compatibility percentages between users, allowing them to see which members answer questions similarly to themselves.

* Profile - Each user is provided with a personal profile, including an avatar, self-description, location, user-name, and birth date (optional). A member's questions, responses, comments, topics used, status, and point totals are accessible through their profile.

* Bookmarks - Users may bookmark particular questions of interest for future reference. All comments posted on your bookmarks appear in the "my wis.dm subscriptions" box.

Name

The "Wis.dm" domain name is an example of a domain hack, an unconventional combination of letters and characters used to form a word or phrase. Others sites such as "del.icio.us" have made this technique popular.

The wis.dm URL is a .dm Country code top-level domain, registered with the island nation of Dominica.

External links

* [http://wis.dm Wis.dm]
* [http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1631960,00.html Is wis.dm Your Next Web Obsession?] from TIME Magazine Online
* [http://www.boston.com/business/personaltech/articles/2007/06/11/new_social_website_tempts_the_inquisitive/ New Social Website Tempts the Inquisitive] from The Boston Globe
* [http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9729157-7.html?tag=head Bored? Curious? Check out wis.dm] from CNet News