You might wonder why the heck Sphinn even materialized given the number of related communities. But I’m already a fan of Sphinn (pronounced “spin”). It’s a social site for search and interactive marketers.

It’s gaining in popularity because it’s part of Third Door Media (the new firm with Danny Sullivan). As a result, the quality of some articles is high because top experts are contributing and commenting. The site has Digg-like scoring mechanisms for what’s posted. And there are networking options as well.

I like the spirit of the community and their willingness to broaden the range of voices.

True to any community, there are already critics. Why not? Some seemed bothered that it will be nothing more than a popularity contest, others question the value of some articles and they’re already taking shots at some bugs (be patient, it’s NEW).

Participants are encouraged to reference any suitable articles (including their own personal blog posts). Again, the emphasis is on suitable. It’s not going to be limited to insights from Search Engine Land.

Check out the content, follow the guidelines when submitting and enjoy the benefits of a new but very active community. Sphinn should be viable given the talent involved.