How did you discover things you'd never heard of? Ever dazzled by endless selections in a bookstore or a web store? There're millions of new books, movies and music albums released each year. There got to be dozens in these that suit you perfectly, but you'll probably miss many of them. Best seller lists tell you the popular ones, but what about the rest?
The creators of Douban find tips from friends and colleagues most helpful. A casual mention or two passes on their own judgments on things, and their knowledge of you. A friend won't recommend nursing books to a bachelor, or bring home "Naked Killer" to grandma. Sadly, put all of the friends and families of you and me together, what they've known are still hopelessly limited. Plus, people of most similar tastes are often strangers to each other.
If only there's a way to know tastes of millions of people, and point out the ones most like yourself. The power of words-of-mouth would be amplified many times over. Douban was created out of this very wish. It does not target to any particular group of people. No matter how bizarre or commonly the things you like, Douban helps to you find the people who shares these interests, and discover more good stuff through them.
