Global Q&A site Formspring released its revamped website Tuesday, in an attempt to better suit uesrs' needs.
The company, which launched in 2009, took a six-month step back to talk to the Formspring community and "understand what you love most about the site," CEO Ade Olonoh wrote on the company blog. It took the feedback to heart, and after months of work, released the "new Formspring."
"We discovered what many of you value most: the ability to express yourself and to share your perspective, thoughts, and opinions on anything," Olonoh said.
Formspring's changes come with the ability to tag questions and responses so those interested in certain topics or opinions can search for them via a top navigation bar. Users can also track what they really care about by following tags and people, as well as more easily access their inbox, feed, and profile.
The adjustments are ones users had been asking for, the company said. One key issue presented itself in the form of discovery, when users said that finding new people and conversations around specific interests was not easy.
"We believe what you think, believe, and feel says a whole lot more about you than what you do or where you've been," Formspring said, in a jab at competing social networks.
The site last year raised $11.5 million through a group of investors, helping the team grow and find ways to reach new audiences, growing from more than 20 million registered users in January 2011.
Additional website features, like the Respond button, implemented last year, have brought Formspring closer to other social networks with buttons that link users to Facebook, Twitter, or Digg.
Following online bullying allegations across the Internet in 2011, Formspring teamed up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab to develop a tool to detect problematic and harassing language on the site.
In 2010, Formspring made headlines when it was linked with the suicide of a Long Island, N.Y., teen.
The website is hoping to bounce back with its new interface and features, though.
"Whatever you say … Whether you say it in humor, with pride, with passion, for a laugh, or for a smile … You now have more opportunities to share your perspective and express your personality," Olonoh said on the blog.