Ello seems to be becoming increasingly well-known - a unique, ad-free and invite-only independent social network, which is often described in specialized press publications as "anti-Facebook".
As reported in a Mashable article, the social network in question seems to have experienced a viral "explosion" in the last week, with many users boasting about receiving an invitation to Facebook.
It's not yet clear what caused this particular "explosion" of popularity (the site has been launched since March), but many link its rise to the recent controversy surrounding Facebook's real name policy, which took place earlier this month when some drag performers and LGBT activists protested when access to their accounts was blocked due to not using their real names.
The case involved San Francisco city officials and a meeting at Facebook headquarters. Although the social media giant agreed to temporarily allow account holders to access their accounts, there has been no change to the rules of use.
This, according to Mashable, caused a percentage of the LGBT community to "move" to Ello, which allows the user to use any name they wish.
Ello’s manifesto reads: “Your social network is owned by advertisers. Every post you share, every friend you make, and every link you follow is tracked, recorded, and turned into data. Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You yourself are the product being bought and sold. We believe there is a better way. We believe in boldness. We believe in beauty, simplicity, and transparency. We believe that the people who make things and the people who use them should work together. We believe that a social network can be a tool of empowerment. Not a tool of deception, coercion, and manipulation, but a place where someone can connect, create, and celebrate life. You are not a product.”.
The site is a cross between Twitter and Tumblr, with more limited features. Users can post status updates, photos and GIFs, and comment on their friends' posts, and there's also a search tool for people they might know. According to the creators, there are many new features in the works, but it's not known when they will appear.
The dramatic rise in popularity seems to have brought a "barrage" of requests for invitations, while some "demonic" users have begun posting them for sale on eBay.
Its designers – artists and designers – have emphasized a “clean” design, which reinforces the “ad-free” image of the network. A related article by Gizmodo comments that if a network wants to be the “anti-Facebook”, then it should be different – and Ello seems to make some “sacrifices” in terms of direct navigation, although simplicity in appearance remains a key feature. Contacts can be organized into two lists – “friends” and “noise”, which refers to Google + “circles”, but is characterized as simpler – as well as the feed, which looks smooth, in the style of Twitter.
As for Ello's profit model – since its ad-free nature is promoted and emphasized as a key feature – the site states that the social network is completely free, but that it will soon start offering "special features" to users. "If we create a special feature that you like, you can choose to pay a small amount to add it to your account forever. We believe that everyone is unique and that we all want and need different things from a social network. So we will start offering various ways for users to customize their Ello experience. The vast majority of features, the ones we all use every day, will always be free and we will continue to improve them. When you choose to pay a small amount for a new feature, you help support Ello as an ad-free network and help us make it even better.".
Source: naftemporiki.gr
