Top 5 Websites for Content Curation

Hello readers! Time has flown by really quickly and it's almost the end of the month! I have had a lot of time to think about my current situation and it's safe to say that I definitely have it all together now and will be able to continue with the blog as normal. Now I know I promised a change in the content structure a few weeks ago and I can confirm that today will be the first post where I will be listing the top 5 websites of different categories! Finally I can pick up where I left off earlier and keep moving forward from now on. Anyway lets dive in, shall we?

In this post, I am going to be reviewing 5 particular websites that are some of the best in the field of 'Content Curation'. For those of you that don't know, Content curation is a form of online content management which involves a process of collating information from various sources that fall under a certain topic or category and placing them into an online feed or newspaper format. It's a pretty simple setup in my opinion, as funneling content into one feed helps to gain interest from audiences who enjoy reading about particular topics. Another great thing about content curation that it allows the author's work to be more recognized in the feed itself, leading to more visitors to the author's website and potentially include an increase in ad revenue. With that being said, here are the top 5 best websites specializing in content curation in no particular order:

1. Flipboard

Flipboard is a content curation platform dedicated to providing the best news-related stories from different areas of interest. The site itself is easy to use as all you have to do is create an account and select categories that you prefer reading about. Once completed, Flipboard will automatically search for articles from those categories and place them into a 'magazine' for your personalized reading needs. It's a pretty neat website to use as the functionality is crisp and smooth, works without any issues. Bonus points if you have a Samsung phone as the mobile version of Flipboard would be automatically downloaded in the app folder, perfect for personalized reading on the go. Excellent presentation of the curated stories and easy to read as well. It is suitable to a general audience.

2. Scoop.It

Scoop.It is a content marketing site that works in a similar way to Flipboard, however the only difference is that it's only suited to professional individuals or businesses who are looking to research various content sources and publish the best content in their chosen field in order to curate an online feed. When registering with Scoop.It, you need to have your own website and add topics of interest related to the company you work with. (e.g technology, business, finance). From there Scoop.It funnels through content from these topics and places them into an online newspaper format. It also gives you the opportunity to distribute your feed to other social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and more; perfect for spreading your curated content to other channels and increasing professional brand/awareness. Another simple website that functions well for businesses, with great editorial/distribution features and represents professionalism in a new light. 

3. Paper.Li

Remember when I wrote about two of my reviews being published into Paper.Li's content curation platform a while ago? Well I definitely have some good things to say about this site. Paper.Li allows you and people within your professional network to curate content dedicated to your business or individual needs. There is also an interesting feature on the site where you can add special integrations that assist on the more technical side of things such as  analytics, email marketing, automation and much more. I can't think of another website that thinks outside the box of general content curation and strengthens the capacity of sharing curated content elsewhere. Great stuff. Also functions well on mobile. An excellent set of features and works like a breeze.

4. Pinterest

You might be wondering why I decided to add Pinterest in this list as it is usually regarded as a social network. However the presentation and format of this site is strongly influenced by content curation and online content feeds, but in the form of images and artwork. Again, it allows you to choose topics/genres/themes of interest which are increasingly vast in the photography and art scene, so you basically have many areas to choose from. Pinterest a nice mix of content curation and social networking and is suitable to the general audience. I think that the functionality on both desktop and mobile can be improved a little bit as well.

5. Pocket

This is a relatively new website that I came across recently. Pocket is a web service that allows general content curation that flows through one channel called a 'Pocket'. In this site you are given the opportunity to save important content to read later. Pocket strongly relies on the idea that saving content for later reading is a valuable time-saver where you don't have to read through your curated feed all at once. You don't even need to miss a story as it's all right there in the Pocket. a pretty neat concept for a new platform and I would recommend it to all the busy people who don't have time to read curated content during the day. Pocket is an interesting platform that might need some to future minor improvements down the track but overall a good site with neat presentation and use of concept.

That's it guys my first top 5 list is completed for the week! I hope you enjoy this new content and let me know what you think in the comments. See you again for a full website review next Monday! Thanks again!

Website Review #11 - Prizerebel.com

Hello again! I am all set for another review today! Before I begin I would just like to provide an update regarding my content as this will be my last full review for Wednesdays as I am planning on switching to Top 5 lists from next week onwards. I will still be posting my normal full reviews on Mondays but posting Top 5 website lists on Wednesdays. The Top 5 lists will have the same format as a full review but a bit more condensed and shorter. I hope that this will be convenient for the readers and for me too as I am planning on diversifying the content on the blog and not make it too one-note. Anyway let's move on. 

Today I will be reviewing Prizerebel.com, which is another cool website to hang around on in your free time where you earn fantastic rewards and compete for prizes. Lets dive in to see what makes this site tick.

PrizeRebel is a GPT (get-paid-to) survey platform and rewards program which has been around since 2007. It  relies on the typical format of completing high-paying surveys for points which can be redeemed for cash via Paypal and gift cards; there is also an opportunity to compete in special contests to be in the draw to win more points and merchandise. PrizeRebel's concept and structure of its rewards program is somewhat similar to the website Swagbucks, but with a little bit of a twist with regards to prizes and points. Funnily enough, despite all of the praise for Swagbucks, I haven't had much of an experience on there as much as I have with PrizeRebel (which is probably a better alternative if you want cash money fast). This site has quickly become another favorite of mine as it has surprisingly become a really quick way to make small amounts of cash just by completing surveys that are worth the highest points and even looking through the hidden 'offer walls' for more ways to add to your points tally. Basically simply easy free money out of your computer! It's definitely a hidden gem in the rewards program market that is worth checking out. 

PrizeRebel.com Homepage - Simplified and plain presentation complete with short
descriptions of what the site offers.

When stepping into PrizeRebel's website, their claims of earning points for what is essentially free money in your pocket are placed front and center of their homepage in order to convey the message to the user that the program is legitimate and not a scam at all. This is a great way to assure that you are in safe hands and your points balance won't be tampered with. Signup to the site is easy, as you just simply register your details and you are automatically welcomed into PrizeRebel's rewards warehouse! From there you suddenly have a lot of opportunities thrown at you at once so you may not know where to start at first, but that's okay as there are help guides and FAQs available for your reference if you get stuck. 

In my experience, the best way to start earning points is to look through the various survey lists which are provided respectfully by some of the more popular survey sites on the web such as Toluna, OpinionWorld, Samplicious and more. But wait, there's more: Each list gets updated daily and you might even find surveys that are worth up to 200 or 300 points! That's literally high-paying when we talk about points and you simply cannot find anything like it elsewhere! It's an extremely eye-catching sight and you will actually see your points balance skyrocket quite fast! This was one of the first things that I noticed when I first got into PrizeRebel and I instantly thought that it was an excellent idea that makes it stand out from the rest. Great stuff! At PrizeRebel, the possibilities are endless and there is always a way to win points here so you won't be left out. You can also watch videos, invite friends to join (referrals) and participate in activities through the offer walls. This is just PrizeRebel's way of literally giving you all the chocolates in a box and seeing which one tastes good!

This is PrizeRebel's account portal with the survey lists on top. Notice the other ways to earn section below where you can earn points by completing special tasks.

With regards to rewards, PrizeRebel provides prizes in the form of over 600+ online gift cards, online games,and cash into your PayPal account. Basically if you earn enough points you would be able to meet the specified amounts for redeeming these rewards. So far I have only redeemed my points for PayPal cash but I might try giving the gift cards a go in the future. Another special feature I would like to point out is the ability to redeem a custom amount for PayPal. What this means is once you earn a substantial amount of points you would be able to redeem them for an amount of cash that is not specified in the original PayPal amounts. The PayPal amounts that can be redeemed are around $5, $10, $20 and up to $100, if you prefer you can apply for any amount of your choice between the specified numbers. This is another feature on PrizeRebel that is definitely unique as I have not seen it on similar sites and it just increases your confidence in gaining more points! Let's not forget it's promo code feature which can be unlocked when you subscribe to PrizeRebel's newsletter, where you will be sent a special promo code every few weeks or months and redeem it for extra points to your balance! How's that for a hidden bonus?

I absolutely love how this site proves to be one of the better survey sites on the web, with the ahead-of-its-time features and strongly legitimate gameplay. I would definitely recommend PrizeRebel for anyone who is looking to earn a quick buck in their spare time as it's functionality is great and you won't be tricked into any fake nonsense here. The site's presentation/design is overwhelmingly positive and welcoming, making it a very unique and entertaining experience for anyone.

Final Rating: 10/10

That's the end of another review for the week! I will start planning Top 5 lists next week so I can have them presented to you by Wednesday. I can't wait to share this new content on the blog and I hope you like it! In the meantime, see you next Monday for another full website review!

Website Review #7 - Talent.hubstaff.com

Hi readers! I hope you are ready for another review to finish off the week! It's also the end of January soon, time flies by pretty quickly when your just starting out on a new venture! Anyway let's move on.

Today I will be reviewing talent.hubstaff.com, which is another new website that I have come across during my online job search. So far it has been good to me however there are a few things I would like to discuss. Let me tell you more.

Hubstaff Talent is an online employment platform for freelancers to post jobs/projects and get noticed by clients from across the globe. It is the talent division of the work tracking software Hubstaff. The great thing about this website is that it doesn't have any hidden fees for registering as a freelancer and you don't even need to bid for any projects! Why bother with bidding for particular projects when you can just simply submit your application to the client and let Hubstaff Talent do all the work for you? After all, your skills and experience matter more to the client than bidding amounts and proposals.

Compared to other freelancing platforms, Hubstaff Talent is not as well known but it is quite competent in terms of its features and functionality. There are not as many hidden traps and misleading information as you would find in similar platforms, making it stand out from the competition. If you prefer a freelance site that does not require the hassle of bidding for projects and paying unnecessary fees then Hubstaff Talent might be the better option.

The Hubstaff Talent homepage - Very clean and polished design. I like how the
main claim of the company 'Free way to find remote talent' is placed in the middle of the
page in order to convince users that it is true and believable. (Names of freelancers have been blocked out for privacy reasons).

When you register as a freelancer with Hubstaff Talent, you will be instructed to complete your freelancer profile. This will require the usual contact details, social media links, career summary, portfolio, current skills and even uploading your resume. According to Hubstaff Talent's guidelines, it is important that you have a fully complete profile in order to receive more contacts from potential clients. You also have to make sure that your skills and experience are tailored to the types of jobs you are looking for on the Hubstaff Talent jobs board, be it content writing, marketing, administration, IT, customer service and so on. Even if you can't find the right project to suit your business needs at a particular time, there is no need to worry as the jobs board gets updated frequently and there are always a bunch of jobs available. You can also check who has viewed your profile on the stats/analytics page where you will find information such as the date the profile was viewed, the location and the total amount of views within a month. However the clients on this site are very selective and will only contact the freelancers whose profiles stand out the most with regards to industry experience and skill sets. Your freelancer profile is the first step to getting contacted so you'd better work hard on it if you want to stand out.

My experience on the site has been quite good so far, I am always constantly checking my profile to see if anyone has viewed it and looking for projects that are compatible to my current skill set. Although I haven't been accepted into a project just yet I am still keeping my profile open to all freelancers and clients in case someone does contact me in the future. Before finding out about Hubstaff Talent I was searching for other freelancing platforms that I could sign up for to help me in my online job search since I am very interested in working remotely; and I happened to read some positive comments about Hubstaff Talent so I signed up straight away.

This is Hubstaff Talent's job board, where users can use the filters on the left of the
page to narrow their search. The positions shown here are just some of the examples of business/IT/customer service projects that you will find on the job board. (Business names and locations have been blocked out for privacy reasons).

There are definitely some good things to say about this website, however I would like to point out some small things that can be improved to make it an even better experience.

On some occasions, applying for a project on Hubstaff Talent isn't always easy and you may or may not hear back from the client; which is a shame because after spending all your time and effort into perfecting your application for a particular projects you would think that a client would respond and provide you with an outcome. It is understandable that you are competing against other freelancers to land the top job so it would be nice if the reply rate for the clients could be risen a bit more in order to provide quicker responses to the applicants and not leave them hanging. Another thing I would like to point out is there is a small lack of interaction between freelancers on the site. If there was a feature for sending messages to freelancers without hiring them for a project first that would be helpful. It is usually best to communicate with freelancers about their skills and experience first before inviting them to a job straight away (much like in a job interview where you would ask an applicant about previous experiences and future prospects).

Above all of this, Hubstaff Talent is definitely the better choice for entering the world of freelancing. It is completely free of charge and anyone who has previous business experience can join. Very clean web design and good functionality. It could have some improvement on existing features as mentioned above but otherwise a great website with the potential to go further.

Final Rating - 6/10

Thanks again for reading! That's my last review for the month! I hope that you can stick around in February as I have some big plans to take this blog to new heights! In the meantime, I'll see you next Monday!

Website Review #6 - GSN.com

Hello again! Before I begin I would like to apologize in advance for the last minute reminder to postpone yesterday's review to today because I had to redesign and monetize the blog. Thankfully I have finished it just in time and I hope you like the new design!

Ok now that I have got that out of the way, lets move on to the next review!

Today I will be reviewing GSN.com, another personal favorite of mine and an excellent source for all of the best new and classic online games! Let me tell you more about this wonderful site.

GSN Games is an online social gaming website which is owned by the American pay TV channel Game Show Network and has been on the web since 2007. It is presented in the form of an online casino where you would find various casino-like games such as bingo, slots, solitaire and poker. There are also other types of games on the website for the people who do not prefer the glitzy casino nature; like puzzles, strategy, arcade and even games based around popular game shows that air on the TV channel! It's basically the definition of all ages entertainment stuffed into one big package!
GSN Games has gained quite a bit of recognition in recent years with the creation of its companion mobile app GSN Casino, which is solely dedicated to casino-style gaming.

Going into the website itself feels like stepping into a colorful, fantasy-esque utopia full of absolute joy, pleasure and most of all fun. You are basically transported into an otherworldly experience where you will stay for hours on end, doing nothing but play fantastic online games to relax and zone out of the real world. It is amazing! The website is oozing of immense positivity and nothing will ever bring you down here. I can assure you that going into GSN Games will give you the best time of your life where it feels like you can actually achieve something! All you have to do is keep playing and win great rewards along the way! But if you really want to experience this for yourself, then you would have to make an account and fill in necessary profile details. It's just one small step to freedom!

The GSN Games Homepage - A whole lot of color and bright features make you 
feel invited to your own party.

When I first started playing on GSN Games I was absolutely addicted. I played on both the website and the mobile app. The games were so fun to play and I would continue to play them all afternoon almost every day. I was mostly interested in the casino-style games where I would get so many consecutive wins in the various themed slots and bingo games and earning millions of points along the way. Whenever I was bored after school or on the weekends, I would whip out my computer or phone and just have fun playing games to kill some time.

Once you have created an account, you are basically free to play whatever game you like. It's all up to you at this stage, but the fun does not stop there. After successfully finishing a game, you automatically earn online tokens and special gaming points called Oodles, which can be redeemed for small prizes and promotional offers such as bonus bucks sweepstakes, competitions and even up to 1 million tokens! How's that for an achievement? It may not be much but at least you don't go empty-handed at the end. You deserve a reward for your awesome online gaming skills so why not use it for something good. (Just a reminder that the tokens are earned from playing the casino games and Oodles are earned from playing general puzzle/strategy/arcade games).

On the account portal, you will find a list of small, fun tasks (called My To-Doodles) to participate in for you chance to win bonus Oodles; these include jackpot bingo, trivia and wonder wheel. Basically, the more Oodles you earn, the more chances you have for redeeming prizes. There is also a section in the portal where you can add or search for various other online players to your 'Buddy List' if you would like to add a sprinkle of spice to your gaming strategy and go into multiplayer mode by competing with other players. Here you have two options: whether you want to play by your own rules or if you want to play socially and have a competitive edge. It's that simple. (I have always played on my own but I am planning to play competitively in the future). There are no limits to how you play on GSN Games!

This is the GSN account portal where you can edit your profile, complete to-do tasks,
apply for promotions and search for players to interact with.

Now you might be thinking, do I get to earn any real money from playing the games on this site? Is there more to this site than there already is? Well, you're definitely right; as there is actually a way to earn cold-hard cash. If you would like to take your gaming skills a to the next level then you have the option to sign up for GSN Games' flagship cash games network, WorldWinner! WorldWinner is literally online gaming on steroids and you have to fight your way to the top of the leader-boards amongst an increasing amount of money-hungry competition. There is a lot at stake in the cash games network as it requires a lot of mental skill, strategy, and quick movements in order to beat the other players and win the top prize. Sure it is competitive, but if you try hard enough you will receive a little cash at the end even if you lose in the games, so it is a win-win situation either way.

I recently started playing on WorldWinner and earned small amounts of cash on their addictive Solitaire card game. I have to admit it does take a while to earn the larger amounts but it definitely takes a lot of time and persistence. I suggest you try it out for yourself and see how far you get. (Just a reminder that you will need a PayPal account in order to deposit cash into WorldWinner and start playing from there).

In conclusion. GSN Games really has a lot to offer in terms of online gaming. It is extremely addictive and pushes the boundaries every time. I absolutely love the colorful web design and overall positivity surrounding the website, all of the games and promotional offers are legitimate, well made and there are no hidden traps to be found behind them. The website follows general online gaming conditions and does not have any fake promotions or sweepstakes. Everything you see here is real online gaming at it's best. No rules, no rubbish, just fun all around. It blows similar websites out of the water with it's fantastic functionality and easy to play games! Whether you are an avid casual gamer or a beginner, anyone of all ages can sign up for GSN Games! 

Final Rating: 9/10

That's it guys! I hope you enjoyed reading today! I will see you again tomorrow!