Beliefnet
Type of site | religion, social |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | BN Media Associates |
| Website |
www |
| Alexa rank |
 |
| Launched | December 28, 1999 |
| Current status | Active |
Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content related to the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. Beliefnet is independent and not affiliated with any spiritual organization or movement.[2]
History
Launched in 1999 by Steven Waldman and Robert Nylen, Beliefnet filled a gap in the religious and inspirational content available online. In 2007, Beliefnet was acquired by the Fox Entertainment Group,[3] with a strategy of being integrated into other Fox-owned faith-based entities. This strategy was short-lived and ultimately evolved, again with the sale of Beliefnet in 2010, to BN Media, LLC, an entity that includes the investors behind Affinity4 and Cross Bridge.[4][5]
In September 2016, Patheos.com was added to the family of brands.[6]
Site architecture
Beliefnet provides users with information on different faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, among others, and encourages interfaith dialogue across the site. They feature stories, quizzes, recipes, and other resources related to spirituality, inspiration, health and wellness, love and family, and news and entertainment. Beliefnet has also introduced concentrated mini-sections to answer the demand for more genre-specific content, like its Apron Strings section with resources for moms, as well as its Women's Health section. Beliefnet is independent and not affiliated with any spiritual organization or movement.
Criticism
Beliefnet has been criticized for their email sign up methods that do not require any type of validation.[7][8] These criticisms also mention an inability to unsubscribe once an address is signed up. All one needs to do is type in an email address and that address will receive countless messages. The actual owner of the email does not need to confirm that they signed up.
References
- ↑ "Beliefnet.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
- ↑ Oppenheimer, Mark. "An Enduring Religious Web Site Is Poised for a Next Phase." New York, New York: The New York Times, July 2, 2010.
- ↑ Press Release: Fox Entertainment Group Acquires Beliefnet
- ↑ Dawn C. Chmielewski (May 27, 2010). "News Corp. puts Beliefnet on the block". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "BN Media, LLC Announces Acquisition of Beliefnet" (Press release). PR Newswire. June 25, 2010.
- ↑ "Beliefnet Announces Acquisition of Patheos". PR Newswire. September 6, 2016.
- ↑ http://www.joel.com/beliefnet.htm
- ↑ https://forums.techguy.org/threads/beliefnet-spam.526921/
Further reading
- Alvstad, Erik (2010). "Encounters between believers and non-believers in a symbolic universe: Religious dialogue and controversy on the internet" (PDF). Nordic Journal of Religion and Society. 23 (1): 71–86.
- Campbell, Heidi (2005). "Making Space for Religion in Internet Studies" (PDF). The Information Society. Informa UK Limited. 21 (4): 309–315. doi:10.1080/01972240591007625. ISSN 0197-2243.
- Campbell, Heidi (2006). "Religion and the Internet" (PDF). Communication Research Trends. Centre for the study of communication and culture. 25 (1).
- Carrigan, Henry L. (2001). "Seeking God in Cyberspace". Journal of Religious & Theological Information. Informa UK Limited. 4 (4): 55–82. doi:10.1300/j112v04n04_05. ISSN 1047-7845.
- Casey, C. A. (2001). "Online Religion and Finding Faith on the Web: An Examination of Beliefnet.org" (PDF). Proceedings of the Media Ecology Association. 2: 32.
- Hackett, Rosalind I. J. (2006). "Religion and the Internet". Diogenes. SAGE Publications. 53 (3): 67–76. doi:10.1177/0392192106069015. ISSN 0392-1921.
- Helland, Christopher (2002). "Surfing for Salvation". Religion. Informa UK Limited. 32 (4): 293–302. doi:10.1006/reli.2002.0406. ISSN 0048-721X.
- MacWilliams, Mark W. (2002). "Virtual Pilgrimages on the Internet". Religion. Informa UK Limited. 32 (4): 315–335. doi:10.1006/reli.2002.0408. ISSN 0048-721X.
- McKenna, Katelyn Y.A.; West, Kelly J. (2007). "Give me that online-time religion: The role of the internet in spiritual life". Computers in Human Behavior. Elsevier BV. 23 (2): 942–954. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2005.08.007. ISSN 0747-5632.
- Ostrowski, Ally (2006). "Texting Tolerance: Computer-Mediated Interfaith Dialogue". Webology. 3 (4): 34ff.
- Wei, Low Yuen. "Religious Ecology On The Internet: A Case Study Of Tibetan Buddhism". Mediating Piety. Brill. doi:10.1163/ej.9789004178397.i-240.91. ISBN 978-90-04-17839-7.
