Imgur.com is a leading online image-sharing platform. It’s described as the home of the most shared and liked images from all around the world. It’s actually a very successful social network, which people use to share, comment, and store images with anyone. The site is visited by more than 100 million people every single month and has more than 350 million images uploaded.
Like many of the other big and successful tech startups, Imgur was started as a hobby by Alan Schaaf in 2009. That year he was studying computer science at Ohio University. One day he decided to make an image-sharing site that ‘doesn’t suck’ and is easy to use. This is how he started developing the platform. It was initially intended to be a gift to the online community of Reddit, which helped with spreading the word. The site was almost an immediate success. When it was launched, it had more than 1 000 visits per day. In the following months, Imgur reached a million page views per day.
Initially, the site was supported by donations, but it soon became so big, that it needed much more cash to stay operational. With millions of daily views, it was easy for the site to start selling ads. Another source of income was created in 2013 – sponsored images. Today, more than 1 000 000 pictures are uploaded daily and the site generates around 3,5 billion impressions. Recently Imgur introduced a new feature – the Imgur meme generator.
On the following infographic, you can see the story behind Imgur and some statistics about it.
(Click on the image to open in a new window)
Since its creation, Imgur has grown exponentially in both size and scope. Not only does it host millions of images, but it also offers its own forum for discussing various topics and viewing submissions from its users. The ‘community tab’ has turned into a hot spot for users to find interesting conversations and join in on the discussions themselves. In addition to the user-submitted content, Imgur also features ‘theme days’ which can range from movie-themed days (‘Star Wars Day’) to holiday themes (‘Mother’s Day’).
On top of providing users with an easy way to share images online, Imgur also strives to make sure its users feel safe while using their site. This includes offering numerous safety features such as private posts and views for adult-only content, along with safety measures designed specifically for younger audiences such as no direct linking from URLs.
Overall, Imgur provides its users with more than just funny GIFs or memes – it provides them with a safe and entertaining place to socialize online. From posts about current events to puzzles or digital art submissions, there is something new every day on Imgur that will surely interest someone out there.
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