Pick of the Week - WakoopaFebruary 10th - 6th, 2008
For the Pick of the Week this week I chose a website called Wakoopa. This site and small application is design to allow you to share what programs you use with other people. I think this is a great way to learn about new software and see what other people like to use.
One of the big issues I have with Wakoopa is that it requires you to install an application which takes data about what you are running and how long it has been running. This coupled with the fact that they only recently put ads on their website makes me somewhat concerned about just what they have been doing with the information after they gather it, but they claim that they are not selling it to anyone. Plus, you can see what information they have gathered in your profile, and remove it at any time you please, and it doesn't seem like their software is doing anything suspicious.
Share, Review, and Discover
Their website is incredibly easy to use, and finding reviews of software is very easy, as well as finding information about how and where to obtain applications other people have been using. If the application is freeware, there are times when they even provide you with a direct link to the downloadable version. One of the big advantages to Wakoopa is that it is users who provide reviews of software, and the trends for amount of time using an application typically will tell you just how popular a software is. I do really feel that user reviews tend to be less involved than official reviews, but still tell you just how well the software works. The fact that it is very easy to post a review on Wakoopa as well as that they are easy to find, makes for a large number of reviews from many different perspectives.
One of the biggest things that I liked about Wakoopa was just how easy their website is to navigate, and how you can see the most recently used applications right from the main page. This makes it easy to find the software that you need or want, as well as what other people thought of the software, and how many people have used it and for how long. The combined ability to see the extent of use and reviews makes Wakoopa a valuable tool, regardless of whether or not you install their application to share your own software.
I give Wakoopa a 7 out of 10, because it makes for a great way to discover new software, with a few minor problems. I'm still not entirely sure of how I feel about installing an application that monitors which softwares I use and for how long. Also, sometimes it is hard to find information about where to get certain software, but a quick jump to Google solves that problem. If you have ever been curious about a software but don't want to buy it and install it, it's a great starting point for user reviews, as well as a way to track just how much people use the software.
Wakoopa Rating: 
Copyright © Kyle Diedrick and Graphics Unplugged 2008, All Rights Reserved
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