Ello is simply an ad-free social media network that’s in beta currently. However they clearly understand their alpha beta gammas of PR judging from the notoriety they’re quickly gaining. Ello is not meek. In fact they are a bit audacious, and it’s kind of ballsy for a start up to have a “Manifesto” as they call it. It 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 converted into data. Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You are the product that’s bought and sold.
We believe there is a better way. We believe in audacity. We believe in beauty, simplicity and transparency. We believe that the people who make things and the people who use them should be in partnership.
We believe a social network can be a tool for empowerment. Not a tool to deceive, coerce and manipulate — but a place to connect, create and celebrate life.
You are not a product.
“Your social network” is a not so veiled reference to Facebook and they clearly want to position Ello as the “anti-Facebook”.
Ello is “simple, beautiful and ad free”, so they say. Their creator, Paul Budnitz, who lives in Burlington, VT is clearly a quirky guy. “We see Facebook as an advertising platform not a social network” says Budnitz.He may be a genius or quickly become yesterday’s news. But for the moment he’s today’s news, as people rush to sign up without even understanding the platform.
Will Ello become a successful, viable platform? Who knows? We know what Ello isn’t, but more importantly, we hopefully will soon know what it is. We’ll be watching.