I came across an interesting website today called OpenFloodgate. It lets content creators post up their works in a format that can be viewed and shared by others. The site is based around different types of content, from poems to recipes, from novels to presentations.
This is interesting because most websites focus on photos, videos and other new media, while OpenFloodgate is targeted at more traditional forms of content, based around the written word. It provides a theatre for more conventional media which, one could argue, have been losing ground in today’s rich-media society. I like the fact that it encourages people to read more and enjoy a richer experience based around the written word.
So, how does it work? Contributors can control as to whether their work is available to the public, available only to themselves or available to people they invite (in the form of a club). They can control how it is presented and whether it can be downloaded or not. Consumers, on the other hand, have the ability to browse around different types of content, write comments against what they are reading and invite other people to come and read said material. There is even a special section called Cream of the Crop where the best works are listed. Ranking is based on viewer votes, in rue Web 2.0 style.
If this sounds like it could be interesting, check it out, there’s loads to read and loads to explore. It’s still in Beta, so subject to change, but has great potential.