Scoutle: Automated Social Networking For Bloggers

Dutch startup Scoutle marries different networking ideas to deliver what they call an "Automated Social Networking for Bloggers."

Scoutle operates via webcrawlers they call Scouts. Users create their own personal Scouts, for example one for their blog, another for their Facebook or similar profile, and the scouts "walk through the Internet," by meeting other Scouts with similar interests or profiles, creating a contact between both.

Results from the Scouts are constantly being compared, delivering a realtime guide that allows users to see which blog on a certain topic, in a certain language or country is most relevant to the user at a specific moment. Users can also create networks based on specific topics or personal groups and see who is best ranked within these networks.

Automation

The interesting thing about Scoutle is not that its another social networking service, it's the focus on automation. Little input is required from users to make connections, the Scouts do most (if not all) of the work usually needed to participate in any social networking site. Users can sit back and simply choose whether to visit the profiles delivered via new connections.

We've seen various link swapping/promotional/blog traffic systems before, however Scoutle's move into social networking is an interesting mix, sort of StumbleUpon based on a shared interests, profiles and widgets. The site launched in beta May 8 and is available in English and Dutch.

Former TechCrunch writer Duncan Riley covers tech, pop culture and penguins atThe Inquisitr.