Ello, a newly popular social media platform is said to be the next best thing, but is it really? It was originally created by a group of seven well-known artists and programmers as a private social network, but they were so overwhelmed with users, they decided to make a public version for everyone to use.
Their manifesto states, “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.”
Ello identifies itself as “a simple, beautiful, and ad-free social network.” They will never sell data or your information to third party users and advertisement companies. More so, it is completely ad-free and free to users. You can only use it if invited by another Ello user, which makes it very exclusive, but you can also request an invitation by visiting the home page.
The real question is, can Ello last without advertisers and maintain their free admission? And also, can they keep up with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, etc?