MindSay, a Hybrid of Blogging and Social Networking

MindSay was launched in June 2003 by business partners Adam Ostrow and Brian Klug. Adam and Brian met at an Entrepreneurship Club meeting at the University of Maryland. At the time, Adam was running a small community web site for young tech enthusiasts, and Brian was running a small web hosting company. Adam had been thinking of adding blogging to his own site. After meeting with Brian, they decided that blogging was a much bigger concept that needed its own site and brand. This was the beginning of MindSay.

I recently had an opportunity to interview Adam Ostrow. Both Adam and Brian are very involved in their blogging community. They are approachable and always open to new ideas and feedback from the members of the MindSay community.

How did you choose the name Mindsay?

We wanted something with the theme of self-expression. After a few months of throwing around different names, the idea of "saying what's on your mind" (MindSay) stuck.

How would you describe the MindSay blogging community as a whole?

I'd describe it as a hybrid of blogging with social networking, which we think is a better way for people to get to know each other. We're often humbled when we see the community rally around another user that is going through a tough time and could use the well-wishes of fellow MindSay users.

How many members/blogs are in the MindSay community?

More than 130,000 members.

In your opinion, what makes MindSay different from other blogging communities?

We like to say that on MindSay you can create a blog in less than a minute and find an audience in less than an hour. We make the process of creating a blog extremely simple (and free), and then provide social tools (such as tagging, wiki tools, and browsing member photos) to find other blogs and get your blog exposure.

What has contributed to the success of MindSay?

The most helpful thing is building MindSay has been the community. We interact a lot with our users, and always ask them about any major changes we're considering making to the site. For example, our new Digg-like top blogs feature came about when we noticed users complaining about the old system. We proposed some changes, listened to feedback, and a few weeks later launched the feature.

How is MindSay funded?

Self-funded. Currently profitable.

What steps were taken in the early days to get people interested in joining, for example word of mouth? Advertising online?

I had a small existing web site targeted at young techies that I used to promote MindSay. That provided an initial base of users, and the viral nature of blogs took over from there. We've had a few articles and interviews in the press that have also helped provide a boost along the way.

Any changes or enhancements scheduled in the near future?

Our current strategy is to build new communities utilizing our software.

What would you like others to know about MindSay? How would describe the community and blogging experience?

We pride ourselves on doing what's best and don't focus too much on short-term monetary gains. We've had a lot of situations where opportunities presented themselves that were tempting financially, but we thought would damage the quality of the user experience. We also think it's important that online communities be a safe place, so we do our best to provide privacy features that helps users express themselves in a way that doesn't put them in harm's way.

Being a member of MindSay myself, I asked members of the community to tell me their own personal opinions of the MindSay community and blogging experience.

This is what they had to say:

"MindSay is one of the best blogging communities on the Net. Why? Because the networking system is well-organized, with the ability of each blogger to personalize their contact availability to a fine degree. Additionally, people on MindSay demonstrate concern for one another. I personally have received amazing support during a fatal illness and then death in my family. MindSay members were entirely excellent. I belong to other communities, but MindSay is my blogging home. I plan on staying around for a long time." -Sandi L. MindSay blogger since Dec., 2003

"One of the best things about blogging on MindSay is that you truly have to say something illegal for the owners/moderators to get involved. They won't shut you down just cause someone complained about what you had to say. True freedom of speech!" -Kathy M., NY

"I like how you can see who has visited your blog.
I have made some great friends on here, some that I talk to daily. I'm glad that my friend introduced me to MindSay!" -Michelle B. VA

"To me MindSay is a place that you can go and blog about whatever you want. Typically without the fear of being judged for whatever your posting about. People here seem to be more forgiving about just moving on if they see something they don't agree with rather than sitting there and dwelling on it. It's low key also and not a lot of people know about it. I read an article on blogging in this local underground-type paper here not too long ago. It seems like it's really picking up popularity, even for those who just look at other's blogs to see what they're saying." -Derek D. Nashville, TN

"I enjoy using MindSay for several reasons. I find it easy to use, I tried MySpace and it just confused the heck out of me. I like the visitors list, the browsing feature and the top blog feature. You can find some really insightful, intelligent and meaningful posts under top blogs and I just enjoy all the good writing and creativity. Finally, it's been refreshing to "meet" some very friendly, intelligent & interesting people on MindSay." -Josie B. Phoenix, AZ.

"I have a blog on MindSay and MySpace. I actually blog on MindSay and look forward everyday to see what my online friends have written in their blogs. I have made some friends that I know that I will want to hug if I ever meet them in person. MindSay people tend to share their life experiences here and you experience their joy and pain through the words they write. I also like the ability to see who has been on my blog and go check them out to see if I want to include them in my little circle of friends. MySpace is less a place to blog but more of a place to check out comments and leave comments. More of a place to be seen than MindSay. You're "IN" if you have a MySpace blog but no one is really blogging. They just jump from space to space leaving a comment behind like a high school year book." -Jan Watts - Kansas

Personally I have been searching online for a number of years looking for a quality blogging community. I have tried many sites over the years, only to be extremely disappointed in many ways. However, my friend Kathy introduced me to MindSay. I was immediately satisfied with both how easy the blog was to set up, and how quickly traffic was generated to my blog. I have made many wonderful friends. There are people of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles. The members of MindSay are very supportive.

I was also impressed with the team that runs MindSay. Both Adam and Brian are very involved, and are always interested in what their members have to say. They offer a personal, hands on approach to their site.

If you are looking for a quality blogging experience, I invite you to try MindSay. It is a community that offers both blogging and social networking at its very best.