US and Australian based Tangler.com offers a new type of discussion forum, introducing the concept dubbed “a discussion network”. This allows users to explore a multitude of different forums from one location. Tangler also adds real-time, rich media and instant alerts to deliver a promised “Forum 2.0”. Tangler is funded by a group of angel investors with an initial investment of around $1.5 million.
Tangler addresses the problems facing the current 5 million discussion forums found on the web: outdated technology and far too much separation. By creating a space where users can subscribe to any number of forums, access them from the same place, and participate in real-time discussions, Tangler helps to alleviate this problem. Discussions through Tangler allow a user to either participate in a real time conversation, or be notified that a change has been made to the forum they are participating in and respond to it at their convenience.Currently over 1,000 forums exist with 160,000 posts and 30,000 unique visitors. Tangler averages 9.5 hours per month of average usage (that’s 3x the amount of Facebook)Users also have the ability to bring their forums with them to their blog or website. TechCrunch’s Mike Arrington commented on this ability in a recent post.
Above: Tangler Screenshot -- #1
Above: Tangler Screenshot -- #2
