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Ello has a few USPs as I understand: 1. They let you choose any name you want (none of the "real name" stuff) 2. They are very friendly, focused and responsiv

Ello has a few USPs as I understand: 1. They let you choose any name you want (none of the "real name" stuff) 2. They are very friendly, focused and responsive to the needs of LGBT community 3. No ads (and thus less incentive to data mine the users, one hopes) 4. They simply don't have the history of Facebook and co 5. At least right now they are young, hip and very exclusive with invite-only membership (unlike Facebook that has everyone AND your grandma)

GuiA 12y ago
But none of these points solve any problem. They're "features" of the product, but what is the product for?
- sanderjd 12y ago
  Put in your terms: Ello lets somewhat older young people (and probably eventually everyone) chat with and follow their friends, acquaintances, and people they find interesting, without needing to use their real identity or make their private data available to advertisers. The market definitely exists, but is probably quite a bit smaller than the facebook market, and people have tried and failed to tap it in the past. Its time may have come due to the various real name policy backlashes against other services. It's also very possible that it will run into the same brick wall as everyone else who has tried this has.
hobofan 12y ago
> 2. They are very friendly, focused and responsive to the needs of LGBT community What special needs does the LGBT community have, that are not being filled by other social networks?
- jliptzin 12y ago
  I am gay and even I don't know the answer to that question
  - pearjuice 12y ago
    - explicitly stating your sexual prefference when it is not asked and/or required - reply without content but rather "fluff" for the sake of defining a front This is not Tumblr, thank you for your understanding.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
- eroncanc 12y ago
  I'm not sure if Ello solves this, but facebook took a really long time to allow _some_ gender-neutral pronouns. Some people would like to define their own. Also, transgender people had some issues with facebook recently. [1] [1] http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/16/living/facebook-name-policy/ http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/16/living/facebook-name-policy/
- sedachv 12y ago
  There's some kind of homophobic troll(s) reporting drag queens' profiles in violation of Facebook's real name policy: http://www.towleroad.com/2014/10/facebook-continues-to-freeze-out-drag-queen-profiles.html http://www.towleroad.com/2014/10/facebook-continues-to-freez... The content moderators (good article on them in the current issue of Wired: http://www.wired.com/2014/10/content-moderation/ http://www.wired.com/2014/10/content-moderation/) are suspending the accounts.
atwebb 12y ago
All of those sound like initial selling points of FB.
andygates 12y ago
>4. They simply don't have the history of Facebook and co They're new. It's hard to get history yet. That's not a USP unless you're easily bamboozled by the latest shiny.
mcintyre1994 12y ago
Regarding number 3, are they actually committed to not data mining their users for commercial purposes? Because if not, they're not selling ads - isn't the incentive to instead sell that data to the highest bidder?

GuiA 12y ago

But none of these points solve any problem. They're "features" of the product, but what is the product for?

sanderjd 12y ago
Put in your terms: Ello lets somewhat older young people (and probably eventually everyone) chat with and follow their friends, acquaintances, and people they find interesting, without needing to use their real identity or make their private data available to advertisers. The market definitely exists, but is probably quite a bit smaller than the facebook market, and people have tried and failed to tap it in the past. Its time may have come due to the various real name policy backlashes against other services. It's also very possible that it will run into the same brick wall as everyone else who has tried this has.

hobofan 12y ago

> 2. They are very friendly, focused and responsive to the needs of LGBT community What special needs does the LGBT community have, that are not being filled by other social networks?

jliptzin 12y ago
I am gay and even I don't know the answer to that question
- pearjuice 12y ago
  - explicitly stating your sexual prefference when it is not asked and/or required - reply without content but rather "fluff" for the sake of defining a front This is not Tumblr, thank you for your understanding.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
eroncanc 12y ago
I'm not sure if Ello solves this, but facebook took a really long time to allow _some_ gender-neutral pronouns. Some people would like to define their own. Also, transgender people had some issues with facebook recently. [1] [1] http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/16/living/facebook-name-policy/ http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/16/living/facebook-name-policy/
sedachv 12y ago
There's some kind of homophobic troll(s) reporting drag queens' profiles in violation of Facebook's real name policy: http://www.towleroad.com/2014/10/facebook-continues-to-freeze-out-drag-queen-profiles.html http://www.towleroad.com/2014/10/facebook-continues-to-freez... The content moderators (good article on them in the current issue of Wired: http://www.wired.com/2014/10/content-moderation/ http://www.wired.com/2014/10/content-moderation/) are suspending the accounts.

atwebb 12y ago

All of those sound like initial selling points of FB.

andygates 12y ago

>4. They simply don't have the history of Facebook and co They're new. It's hard to get history yet. That's not a USP unless you're easily bamboozled by the latest shiny.

mcintyre1994 12y ago

Regarding number 3, are they actually committed to not data mining their users for commercial purposes? Because if not, they're not selling ads - isn't the incentive to instead sell that data to the highest bidder?