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Current is the website that hosts Current TV. The site is designed to allow audience members to participate in the current TV experience. There are also a number of online social networking features which make it possible to create profiles and comment on various events. Current TV boasts one of its founders and its current chairman as Al Gore, that’s the same Al Gore that was a former Vice President of the United States. Clearly whether this is really the case or just a publicity stunt remains to be seen. He does have something to do with the site, but we will never know how involved he is. The channel is available in over 51 million households all around the world and is carried by a number of TV networks including DirecTV, Virgin Media and the Dish Network. The network is made up of pods; these are segments of content which are between 1 and 8 minutes long. There is a current journalism program which allows amateurs the ability to create their own pods to cover various stories. There is an approval program in place to make sure that only good content is approved. Users can also help to support the site by creating viewer created adverts.

The chairman of current is ex Vice President Al Gore and it can now be viewed on TV networks around world including Ireland, America and the UK. Competitors of Current include MSNBC and CNN, but they also include online content sites such as Digg and YouTube. Current has been around for some time however many of the most interesting features were added in 2007 when the site underwent a massive redesign.

Unlike many other web applications. this one is available without touching a computer. It’s accessible through a number of TV networks. This makes it very easy to access without giving it any special consideration. It also possesses a very easy to remember short, single word domain name which is a lot better than some of the competing sites. Users can create their own news stories which will mean that even small but still newsworthy stories get the attention they deserve. The approval process can slow the news down but this isn’t really noticeable.

Current has a very nice and modern design; it looks a lot like any other news site. All of the major news stories are detailed on the homepage and at the top there is a slideshow of some of the most popular stories. Further down the page you will notice that this site is just a little bit different. There is also a list of comments from users which shows that it’s also a social networking site.

It’s possible to read news on the site without registering for an account, however by registering for an account you will be able to create your own news stories and also comment on others. Registering doesn’t take very long, simply click the register link and then fill out the form. This is a very standard signup form. Make sure you tick the terms and conditions check box and also uncheck the newsletter box if you don’t want to receive the newsletter. You will be sent a confirmation email which you will have to read and follow the link to activate your account.

Current is a free application. It survives because of adverts which are also created by users. Adverts are displayed on the site and also in videos.

Current is perfect for anyone that likes to keep up to date with current affairs but is looking for something a little bit different to a normal news video site. Although other video sites are following a similar path allowing user interaction this site is on a completely different level. Not only can you comment on stories but you can also create your own news just as long as it gets approved.

• Read news stories
• Access over many TV networks
• Watch video
• Create news stories
• Access with mobile devices
• Browser Plug-ins to make using the site easier
• Comment on news stories

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