Quora (iOS/Android)
Regarded as a community for meaningful questions and answers generated by readers, nearly all questions can be found on the app. From those relating to business to others about relationships, users submit answers to the questions which other people can vote on to determine its quality. With so many users who have various answers for each question, those who browse Quora can get new insights and perspectives for a range of topics. With a ranking system that is managed by the votes and views of others, those who are the most credible are able to give their opinions and knowledge to readers so that there is a heighted layer of relevancy for the answers instead of an forum that is not moderated. As users read more answers, advanced algorithms in the app are able to better curate content that is suited to the interest of the readers so that all of the results shown are highly relevant to what readers are interested in instead of reading all of the possible answers. As one of the best aggregators of human knowledge and experiences, Quora is a highly ranked social site with user-generated content.
Reddit: Top Trending Content (iOS/Android)
As one of the largest online communities, Reddit is coined as the “front page of internet” and is where users can find answers, threads, and conversations on nearly any topic, the range of topics is endless with thousands being added each day. Beyond simple question and answers as with Quora, Reddit offers more variety in the interactions within the community. For example, users can post AMAs which are “Ask Me Anything” for those who have a certain credentials or experiences where users can post questions for them to answer. With thousands of communities that offer something of interest for every reader, users can either browse or contribute to the various threads depending on what their interests are. With so many different topics that are available to explore, users can also personalize their feed so that only the content that is relevant to that reader is shown when they visit the app. As the largest and most popular source for user-generated content, Reddit is one of the most comprehensive apps available.
9Gag (iOS/Android)
For those who are more interested in image-based content, 9Gag offers only pictures and memes that are generated by those in the community. Similarly to Quora and Reddit, there are a large number of categories in which users can browse and upload various images with a limited amount of text. Regarded as a less formal, the content that is found on 9Gag is more casual and silly with memes and jokes whereas apps such as Quora and Reddit can have more serious undertones. As there are a large number of topics available, users can get choose which category they are most interested in and then browse that respective section or choose the “Hot” section to find the content that is currently trending. With a simple interface that only requires users to scroll down the page, thousands of images are added each day and hence users will rarely find old, recycled content which makes it extremely addicting.
Medium (iOS/Android)
Medium is a text-heavy app that has users reading and writing articles on a range of topics. With the ability to explore different ideas and share perspectives in a news-style article, those who are interested in intellectual content are able to derive a significant amount of value from Medium. Similarly to Quora and Reddit, readers are able to personalize their feed so that only the content that they are interested in is shown such as specific topics or writers. As users can also contribute their thoughts, a community is effectively created so that there is an intellectual forum for all of those on the platform. Through features such as the ability to highlight certain content and respond to the write to increase engagement, the community is made more active where writers and readers can interact with one another seamlessly. As with the other user-generated content sources, the ranking of the stories is determined by readers who are able to express their support for an article by liking it where the most-liked articles can gain more visibility. As a source of intellectual content that is generated by those in the community, Medium is one of the best apps for getting news style articles by other users.
Deviating from content that is created by larger companies or news organizations, content that is generated by other users is quickly becoming the most popular form of content online. For those who are interested in having more in-depth and intellectual conversations to others who are more interested in entertainment and image-based content, the apps listed in this article are able to provide value to any niche through creating a contributing community where users can engage with one another.
