This enthusiastic review explores GetGlue, an innovative social networking platform designed specifically for entertainment enthusiasts who wanted to share and discover content across TV shows, movies, music, podcasts, books, and video games. Eric Wilborn captures the excitement around what he calls a potential addiction for "sticker hounds," describing a service that offered both familiar social features and a completely open environment for entertainment-focused conversations.
The review highlights GetGlue's unique approach to social interaction, where users could "check-in" to different forms of entertainment and engage with others without requiring existing social connections. This created topic-focused communities where someone could discuss Madden '12 with one group and Hello Kitty with another, without those conversations overlapping. The platform's gamification through digital stickers and rewards from partners added an engaging element that differentiated it from traditional social networks.
The Android app received praise for its clean, straightforward design that mirrored the website's features while offering mobile-specific conveniences. The reviewer specificly appreciated the trending features that could help users discover new content based on what others were checking into, and the seamless connection with Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr for cross-platform sharing. However, he noted the limitation that physical sticker rewards could only be requested through the website, not the mobile app.
This review documents an interesting experiment in niche social networking that occurred 13 years ago, before the entertainment industry fully embraced social media connection. GetGlue represented an early attempt to create community around shared media consumption, predating features now common in services like Discord, Reddit communities, and even built-in social features on streaming platforms. The concept of "checking in" to entertainment has evolved into watch parties, live tweets during shows, and algorithm-driven recommendation systems. Reading this review today highlights how quickly the social media landscape evolved and how platforms that seemed innovative can become forgotten footnotes in digital history.
This summary was created by Dave Rogers. The original post was written by Eric Wilborn and published on January 1, 2012.
If you'd like to view the original post, you can find it here.