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Minglewing is a service that adds “wings” on to Facebook. The application gives users a place to participate in public discussions on any subject, item, event, idea or issue. Each wing is organized by topic so users can seek out specific items that interest them. The site currently offers a wide range of wing categories, including funny, technology, SOPA/PIPA, food, spirituality, cute, entertainment, politics, amazing, Burning Man and many others. Each is displayed with a title, image, URL and the user who submitted it. The user can click on an item to see it in detail along with any comments users posted through Facebook. Each wing page includes a list of links to other items posted by the same user.

Minglewing was created by the team who built Anybeat.com. The application was designed to provide depth to the standard Facebook discussion. The site currently boasts a strong community of active users who post new wings and share ideas. Users will also notice that some profiles look questionable and may be more advertisement than true user. The application has received some mentions but hasn’t seen significant popularity as of yet.

Minglewing is very similar to Pinterest in design and concept. The main difference is the focus on encouraging discussions. The site provides a number of ways to share wings using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Stumble Upon and Reddit. While these options are convenient, they aren’t terrible new or unique. Minglewing has a decent design, but even that is very similar to the layout and style of Pinterest.

Users who love Pinterest will feel right at home with Minglewing. The application can easily be considered a near clone of the more popular website. The page features boxes containing each item of discussion . With a single click the user can explore an item in detail and view conversations. The design works well, but many users already know that because they have Pinterest accounts.

New users can contribute to the Minglewing community by clicking the blue “Create Post” button in the upper, right hand corner of the homepage. A pop up box appears and invites the user to “Connect with Facebook.” After signing in to Facebook and allowing Minglewing to access the profile, the user can begin adding new “wings” to the application. Users are not required to sign in to browse existing wings.

Minglewing costs nothing to use. There are no subscription fees, and there shouldn’t be. The service is simple and relies heavily on user interaction to make the experience interesting for visitors. Without the users there would be no new “wings” to explore. There are many other similar websites, like Pinterest, that invite anyone to join up for free. That’s right where the price should be for the level of functionality the user receives.

Minglewing is a decent option for users who like sites similar to Pinterest. The problem is that the application offers very little for users who already love Pinterest, meaning there is no reason to switch. The application focuses on discussions through social networks, but that’s what Facebook is already good for on its own. Minglewing can work for users who want to explore new online communities, but for everyone else there’s always Pinterest.

• Users can submit new wings to create topic pages
• Numerous categories are covered and can be browsed
• Comments are posted through Facebook directly on the Minglewing page
• Built in search helps users locate topics of interest
• "Wing It" bookmark tool can be added to the browser

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