Ello is a new social networking service that offers basic Facebook-like features that was launched in March of this year but has not really gained traction until recently. The service is currently invite-only, but requests for invites are easy to come by and as a result user numbers have skyrocketed in recent days, (something to the order of 27,000/hour) – so it seems like mainly frustrated former Facebook users looking to find a better networking experience that has less restrictions and controls.
To start with, recently Facebook seems to be cracking down on anyone not using their real name and it looks like they began disabling the accounts of people who are using stage names of pseudonyms instead of their real name. So, for anyone wanting to keep some kind of anonymity or worried about privacy on Facebook this has proven to be quite difficult. On the other hand, Ello, is a place where people can network using any name the want.
Also, whether you are aware or not, Facebook is an ad-driven network owned by advertisers. Every post you share, every friend you make and every link you follow is tracked, recorded and converted into data. Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You are the product that’s bought and sold making Facebook billions every year. So I think after hearing it that way, many people are opting for an ad-free alternative like Ello. They state that their underlying philosophy is to create a social networking tool for user empowerment; not a tool to deceive, coerce and manipulate — but a place to connect, create and celebrate life.
I think it might be too early yet to tell if Ello can survive using its current business model or if it can keep up with it’s currently claims that user data will not be used by them to make money. Up to this point, Ello has raised $435,000 in venture capital funding and as it turns out that they plan to use a strategy that’s been taking over mobile gaming platform called “freemium” – meaning giving users free accounts with basic features and if they want more they will have to pay for it.
If you go to their website at www.ello.co you can request an invite by supplying your email address and waiting to hear back from them. If and when you hear from them and you do decide to sign up, pay particular attention to the personal settings page when you customize your profile to ensure you are comfortable with the options it provides.
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