An emerging new social networking platform called Ello, considered to be the perfect replacement for Facebook, is being heavily discussed by ad-hating, security-savvy individuals online. What Ello promises is a lot – less restrictions, no ads and the possibility to keep the users’ personal information from each other. Ello is surely a more mature looking project when compared to Facebook – which, according to some, looks more like a coloring book, not a social network. The new network has an edgy, artistic, almost minimalistic design, it is functional and simple, and has the potential to grow over its competitors.
There are voices out there for and against the emerging new social network. Some say it is a definite threat to Facebook, this hyper-targeted playground for advertisers, which has been involved in a series of controversies regarding its policies. Others consider Ello a nice try, but with no chances to succeed in the online world led by advertising money, especially because it is built by designers and not social experts, lacking a lot of functionality. One thing is for sure, though – the new social network founded just six weeks ago by a team of programmers and designers from Vermont is surrounded by a lot of interest. Being still in the beta phase, it only accepts new users on an invitational basis, and it does not lack that at all – according to reports, it receives over 30,000 requests every hour, from all parts of the world.
[ads2]
This, and the fact that Facebook is used by less teenagers lately, might ring a bell over at the social giant. Various communication and social startups keep stealing its customers – not reducing its user base yet, though. In time startups like Ello, focusing more on their users than on the advertisers, might become more and more appealing to people, and make them abandon their previous profiles. Ello needs a lot of work before it can become a major social phenomenon. It will have to increase its network, improve its services, build a serious customer support team and raise lots of money. In time, though, it might become a real threat to Zuckerberg’s business – but we’ll have to wait a long time for that…