Scribd (pronounced /skrbd/) is a document-sharing website that allows users to pos t documents of various formats, and embed them

into a web page using its iPaper format. Scribd was founded by Trip Adler, Tikhon Bernstam, and Jared Friedman in 2006.[2] Scribd's major competitors are Docstoc, edocr, WePapers, and Issuu.[3] Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Awards/recognition 3 Timeline 4 Financials 5 Technology 6 Reception 7 Criticism 8 Controversy 9 Supported file formats 10 See also 11 References 12 External links [edit] HistoryThe idea for Scribd was originally inspired when Trip Adler was at Harvard and had a conversation with his father, John R. Adler, about the diffic ulties of publishing academic papers. He teamed up with cofounders Jared Friedma n and Tikhon Bernstam and they attended Y Combinator in Cambridge in the summer of 2006.[citation needed] Scribd was launched from a San Francisco apartment in March 2007 and quickly grew in traffic. In 2008, it ranked as one of the top 20 social media sites according to Comscore.[4] In June 2009, Scribd launched Scrib d Store,[5] and shortly thereafter closed a deal with Simon & Schuster to sell e books on Scribd.[6] Over 150 publishers including Random House, Wiley, Workman, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Pearson, Harvard University Press and Stanford Univer sity Press are now associated with Scribd. ProQuest began publishing dissertatio ns and theses on Scribd in December 2009. In October 2009, Scribd launched its branded reader for media companies with The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, TechCr unch and MediaBistro. [7] Over 100 media companies now use Scribds branded reader to embed source material into their stories. In August 2010, news stories began to break and documents and books began to go viral on Scribd including the over turned Prop 8 and HPs lawsuit against Mark Hurds move to Oracle Corporation. Adler is currently the CEO of Scribd, where he is responsible for the product an d strategic direction of the company. BusinessWeek named Adler one of the Best Yo ung Tech Entrepreneurs 2010.[8] [edit] Awards/recognitionIn September 2009, BusinessWeek named Scribd one the Wor lds Most Intriguing Startups.[9] In December 2009, Forbes named Scribd one of its 1 0 Hot Startups. [10] Fast Company named Scribd One of its Top 10 Most Innovative M edia Companies in February 2010.[11] In May 2010, Scribd was recognized as one of the 2010 Hottest San Francisco Compa nies by Lead411.[12] On September 1, 2010, the World Economic Forum announced the company as a Techno logy Pioneer for 2011.[13][14] After the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer Award, Time Magazine named Scribd one of the 10 Start-Ups that Will Change Your Life.[15] [edit] TimelineIn February 2010, Scribd unveiled its first mobile plans for e-re aders and smartphones. [16] In April 2010 Scribd launched a new feature called " Readcast"[17] which allows automatic sharing of documents on Facebook and Twitte

r.[18] Also in April 2010, Scribd announced its integration of Facebook social p lug-ins at the f8 Developer Conference. [19] Scribd rolled-out a re-design on September 13, 2010 to become according to TechCrunch, the social network for reading.[20]