Wall Street Journal Online Launches Application Bringing Users’ Social Networks to WSJ.com

Loomia’s New SeenThis? Social Convergence Application Tells Users Which Content is Popular With Their Friends and Groups From Largest Social Networks

NEW YORK . — The Wall Street Journal Online today announced the launch of SeenThis?, a social convergence application that brings users’ social networks onto the pages of WSJ.com. WSJ.com users can now see what WSJ.com articles are most popular with their friends and groups from leading social networking sites, without having to leave the site.

Through an agreement with Loomia (www.loomia.com), a leader in website personalization, WSJ.com is the first company to fully deploy SeenThis? The application allows users to choose to see a list of WSJ.com articles and blog posts recently viewed or shared by their friends -- both directly on WSJ.com and on social networking sites. For example, users will see article links that are “popular with 5 friends,” “popular with San Francisco,” or “popular at NYU,” depending on their social network affiliations. Users will be able to view these WSJ.com articles for free, and they also have full control over how they share content.

“SeenThis? provides an exciting new way for WSJ.com users to interact with their trusted social network and engage with our content,” said Daniel Bernard, general manager of WSJ.com. “Recommendations from friends are an effective way to fuel discovery and sharing of content that matters most to people. This application not only extends our brand and content to new audiences in large social networking sites, but also deepens on-site engagement by bringing those communities directly to WSJ.com.”

In July 2007, WSJ.com first rolled out Loomia’s recommendations platform to deliver articles of interest to users based on what they were viewing on the site. SeenThis? now offers users the added benefit of seeing at-a-glance what is most popular and interesting among their social networking circles. WSJ.com users can view this feature on the right side of each WSJ.com article page, as well as on profile pages of select social networking platforms. SeenThis? is an opt-in only application.

“We are proud to be introducing this highly useful application that was built on extensive focus group and user input,” said David Marks, chief technology officer and co-founder of Loomia. “SeenThis? sets social networks free and extends the networks’ reach across a user’s favorite SeenThis?-enabled websites. It expands the power of word of mouth by allowing people to stay connected with their friends about the latest news and trends -- staying in the know, wherever they go, on sites across the web.”

SeenThis? is a social convergence application built on Loomia’s personalization platform which enables content and retail website publishers to personalize their Web users’ experience with recommendations generated by three dimensions of relevance -- contextual, personal and social. Users can sign up for SeenThis? at www.wsj.com.