Mediander Promises Answer for Internet Information Overload

In Tech Digest by Dennis Abrams

Mediander.com will launch at this year’s BEA as a new online encyclopedia with a unique “knowledge engine” that focuses on connections between topics.

By Dennis Abrams

MedianderDescribed as “YouTube meets Wikipedia meets Amazon,” Mediander.com will launch at this year’s BookExpo America as one of the largest content sites on the internet, with a unique “knowledge engine” that powers the discovery and exploration of millions of topics. Mediander offers what is described as a new experience to knowledge seekers by integrating content from YouTube, Wikipedia and other sources within its Mediander Connects interface, a new kind of encyclopedia that moves beyond merely providing information. By focusing on the connection between topics, Mediander is seeking to put a new, associative spin on the familiar process of online information discovery while allowing users to purchase books on the topics that interest them. The site is meant to stir curiosity, and to enhance understanding and empower learning.

“The idea for Mediander came to me as a solution to information overload on the internet,” said Mike Fine, founder and CEO of Mediander. “People spend more time wading through lots of unwanted information and links than they do learning about their topics of interest. We designed algorithms that mine a vast amount of content for the information most relevant to our users, based on our core principle of connectivity. We present what we find in a single, engaging, focused visual interface. We anticipate Mediander becoming a household name and a site people return to on a daily basis.”

Mediander contains four unique integrated offerings and a blog:

  • Mediander Connects: Shows how any topic is related to scores of other topics, which in turn can be explored individually.
  • MedianderbookShop: Offers an intuitive new connection-driven way to discover, browse, and buy books.
  • MedianderCultureMap: Showcases original content about cultural subjects in a unique interactive presentation of topics and the connections between them.
  • MedianderBlog: Invites users into the Mediander universe with a mix of original, mostly pop-culture content that links back to the rest of the site.

Mediander is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fine Creative Media, Inc., a company founded by Fine in 1991 that has published more than 1,000 titles under the MJF Books and Barnes & Noble Classics imprints.

At BEA, Mediander will reveal new user interface designs for computers and tablets, and at the end of June will do the same for mobile.

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About the Author

Dennis Abrams

Dennis Abrams is a contributing editor for Publishing Perspectives, responsible for news, children's publishing and media. He's also a restaurant critic, literary blogger, and the author of "The Play's The Thing," a complete YA guide to the plays of William Shakespeare published by Pentian, as well as more than 30 YA biographies and histories for Chelsea House publishers.