How did RankBoards
get started?
I was doing some research on why we like certain people and products. We have things we really like – our favorites – and things that we don't think are all that great. We automatically rank things in our minds. It occurred to me that ranking is hardwired into our system.
Around this same time, my son Colin started firing off ranking questions to me. He started asking me:
“Dad, what is your favorite snake?”
“Dad, what is the best Japanese car?”
“Dad, I like the Siberian tiger, what is your favorite tiger?”
He continues to ask me these questions on a daily basis. Just this morning he asked me what my favorite wolf was; I never really thought about it, but just kind of assumed there was just one type of wolf. There are a bunch of different wolves! Well, now, my son has a place to list his favorite wolves, dinosaurs, and crustaceans! He can also ask other people to vote on them - a real win/win situation!
So, it was this research I was doing and the constant questions from my son that made me think that I should build something that allows people to vote, rank, and share things on the Web. I shared the idea with a bunch of people and they all said the same type of thing: “That's awesome! Wait, doesn't that exist?” Well, as far as I can tell, it doesn't exist. So we built it!
Beyond this basic foundation, our goal is to provide a way for you to vote, rank, and share the people and products that you are passionate about. If you are moving to a new area, then I want you to be able to quickly find the best dentists, day care providers, and cool spots to check out. If you are passionate about sports or celebrities, then I want you to be able to debate and vote up your team or actor. Additionally, I want you to be able to share more about who you are in a very easy way. I want your friends to be able to quickly learn about your favorite books and movies, but I also want them to know about who you are becoming. Life is a journey and it can be fun to let others know where we are going.
In short, I launched this site because I think we naturally rank and share things all of the time. I wanted there to be a place on the Web to do these things. And – I wanted my son to have a place to fire off questions to learn more about the world around him :)
I'm delighted you've found us!
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RankBoards – Vote & Create Boards for Your Favorite People & Products!
We love to rank people, things, and experiences. People magazine ranks the sexiest men alive. Forbes ranks the richest people in the world. US News ranks the best colleges. Award shows like the Oscars, Crunchies, and Emmy's rank people and celebrate the winners. There are literally thousands of rank ordered lists out there. Who makes the list is usually determined by a small group of elite people. Not anymore!
RankBoards democratizes the ranking process and allows you to vote for your favorite people and products in real time. Award lists and shows are static. They are updated maybe once a year. RankBoards is a constantly changing, evolving list, of the top people and products. It is always current.
You can vote on general boards like best new movie, best rock band or best actor, or you can create your boards for your profession or town. You might create boards for the best teachers, dentists, or restaurants in your area. It is up to you!
You can also create individual boards to express who you are and who you aspire to be. Share your favorite movies, books, and music. Take things a step further and express places you want to visit, goals you want to accomplish, and people you admire. You control the order on your individual boards – no one else can vote on them.
Thanks for joining us!
What can you do on RankBoards?
Vote for your favorite people and products! You have one vote per category per day. |
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Express yourself by creating your own individual boards! Share with others who you are and who you aspire to be. |
Create a board for something you are passionate about and share it with others for them to vote on! |
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Go to bat for your favorite brand, restaurant or sports team! Create a board for that category or simply comment and vote! |
There are two types of boards on RankBoards:
- Public Boards provide a space for us to vote, rank, and comment on our shared people and products. Many of us care about the best movies or sports teams. You can also create public boards for your favorite restaurants, schools, dentists, or educators!
- Personal Boards provide a space for you to express yourself. On individual boards, you share your favorite songs, books, or movies. These tell us about who you are now. However, you can take things a step further and share about where you are going. You can share your goals, trips you want to take, items you want to buy, and people you admire. These tell us more about where you are going and the person you are becoming. They are aspirational.
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