Graspr is an instructional video site which recently made its debut at Demo. Although the company claims to be the first of its kind, and expects “to become one of the Internet’s most meaningful, most popular, and most lucrative online communities,” its claims seem a little exaggerated.
This genre of instructional video communities is hardly new—you’ve got sites like VideoJug, SuTree, and Instructables which are already well established. Like those sites, all videos are geared toward teaching the viewer something, whether it be how to make Indian curry, how to draw or how to defend against a rear choke. Videos are tagged and divided into sections by the minute so you can jump to a particular scene, skipping the rest. Additionally, there’s a note pad which you can use to jot down notes as you watch the video; you can also check out what other people wrote in the Community Notes section. Videos may come with attached supplementary material. Apart from viewing, users can take part in the discussion forums and participate in the chat rooms attached to the videos. There are profiles and friends as well as groups to fill out the social networking quota.
Graspr.com In Their Own Words
“Graspr is a social media and learning company building the first interactive, online community that enables people to connect and share their life experiences and expertise with people who are seeking it. The community is built around topic-specific videos in a variety of interest categories, such as health & fitness, home & garden, crafts, sports, and many more. People with “know-how” can be hobbyists (they do it just for fun), careerists (they get paid to do it), or celebrities (they have an audience who wants more). Motivations for participating range from helping others, being recognized, and earning additional income to extending audience reach, building a personal brand, and selling products and services. Graspr is about leveling the playing field. It is creating the opportunity for ordinary people with extraordinary experiences to be recognized and rewarded for sharing their stories and know-how with others. Graspr is “Sharing the Wealth of Knowledge” through videos and community.”
Why Graspr.com It Might Be A Killer
Graspr has a pretty complete set of video features which work well. The note pad is interesting, although I’m not sure that it would be used as often as it could be. I like the idea of supplemental material. Overall, they’ve done a fairly good job.
Some Questions About Graspr.com
Is this field too crowded for another entrant? Will Graspr be able to draw in the large numbers as it hopes? Will they add transcriptions of the videos? 
