Ello (social network)

Ello
Web address www.ello.co
Slogan simple, beautiful, and ad-free
Commercial? No
Type of site
 Social network
Registration Required to post, follow, or be followed
Available in English
Users 1 Million +
Created by Paul Budnitz
Launched March 2014 (2014-03)
Current status Active

Ello is an online social networking service created by Paul Budnitz and Todd Berger in March 2014.[1] It was created as an ad-free alternative to existing social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. It is currently in beta.

Overview

Ello is free to use, but is exploring a freemium model to finance future activities. It is also selling specially branded T-shirts in a partnership with Threadless to generate revenue.[2]

The Ello service claims several notable distinguishing intentions as a social network:[1][3][4]

Features

Ello has several features already built, including an emoji autocomplete, NSFW settings and hashtag implementation, and is planning on adding others such as private messaging.[5]

History

Ello started as a private social network consisting of seven artists and programmers. After a year of the social network being private, the creators redesigned the website and launched Ello to the public.[3]

Seed funding of $435,000 from the venture capital investor FreshTracks Capital in January 2014 helped sustain the company initially. This decision earned some criticism when the network achieved wider popularity.[6]

Ello was launched on March 18, 2014, complete with a manifesto that claimed to distinguish it from other social networks like Facebook. The site promised it would never sell user data, proclaiming that "You Are Not a Product".[1][7] The social network service officially launched on April 3, although membership registration was only by invitation.[8][9]

Ello gained added attention in September 2014, when numerous members of the LGBTQ community left Facebook following the controversial enforcement of its real-name policy, thought to be intended to exclude drag queens in San Francisco.[3][10][4] At its peak, the social network was processing more than 30,000 signup requests an hour.[3][11] It is estimated that 20% of sign ups remain active on the site one week after registration.[12]

In October 2014, Ello reorganized itself as a benefit corporation and raised a further $5.5 million in venture capital.[13][14][15][16]

Criticism

Ello has been criticized by some for its simple, minimalist design.[17] Bona Kim of Gizmodo criticized the general bugginess of the website and accused it of trying too hard to look different from its main competitor, Facebook.[18]

One highly positive review expressed concern that Ello "seems fated to become the betamax of social media: superior to its competitor but failing to win popular traction. But it doesn't matter ... A social network doesn’t need approval from everyone to work."[19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Smith, Jack, IV (2014-03-18). "Mysterious New Social Network Ello Promises ‘You Are Not the Product'". Betabeat.com. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  2. ↑ Napier Lopez (18 November 2014). "Ad-Free Social Network Ello Turns to T-shirts for Revenue". The Next Web. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Butcher, Mike (September 26, 2014). "Ello, Ello? New ‘No Ads’ Social Network Ello Is Blowing Up Right Now". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  4. 1 2 McKinney, Kelsey (September 26, 2014). "31,000 people an hour are joining the social network Ello. The anti-Facebook, explained.". Vox.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Ello | wtf | Ello Feature List". Ello. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  6. ↑ DeAmicis, Carmel (25 September 2014). "Ello investor, co-founder: Funding or not, we hate ads and we want to “shift values”". Gigaom.com.
  7. ↑ Benson, Thor (March 24, 2014). "‘You Are Not a Product': Ello Wants to Be the Anti-Facebook Social Network". Vice.
  8. ↑ Smith IV, Jack (April 3, 2014). "Mad Genius Creates Ello, the Elegant Anti-Facebook Designer toy maker takes on "evil" social networks.". Betabeat.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  9. ↑ Vaas, Lisa, 'Anti-Facebook' Ello: swamped with privacy-hungry refugees, bouncing back from DDoS, Naked Security, Sophos Ltd., October 1, 2014
  10. ↑ Sullivan, Gail (September 25, 2014). "Social network Ello gets boost after Facebook boots drag queens". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  11. ↑ Smith IV, Jack (September 25, 2014). "Ello’s Traffic Deluge Almost Caused a Total New User Freeze-Out, Crisis Averted: At 31,000 Ello invite requests every hour, Ello has decided NOT to shut off access for new users and soldier on through the nuclear hype.". Betabeat.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Ello users: joining in droves, not posting very much - VentureBeat - News Briefs - by Kia Kokalitcheva". Venturebeat.com. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  13. ↑ "'Facebook Killer' Ello Hatches Plan to Stay Ad-Free Forever - WIRED". WIRED. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  14. ↑ "BBC News - 'Anti-Facebook' investors dig deep for Ello". BBC News. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  15. ↑ "Ello The Social Network Is Now A Public Benefit Corporation And Promises No Ads". The Inquisitr News. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  16. ↑ "Ello Raises $5.5 Million, Legally Files As Public Benefit Corp. Meaning No Ads Ever". TechCrunch. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  17. ↑ LaBarre, Suzanne (2014-09-24). "Ello's 5 Biggest Design Crimes". Fast Company. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  18. ↑ Kim, Bona (2014-09-29). "A Rant Against Ello's "Simple" Design". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  19. ↑ "Escape Facebook". newescapologist.co.uk. Retrieved 6 March 2015.

External links

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