A new social network called Ello, billing itself as the "anti-Facebook," is receiving tens of thousands of new sign-ups per hour, and is only eight weeks old.
The new social network claims to have no advertising, no data-mining and no algorithms about what people should see -- all of these in direct contrast to Facebook.
"We set out to prove that a social network will survive and thrive that doesn't have a business model of selling ads to its users," said Paul Budnitz, CEO and co-founder of Ello.
Ello was started as a secret social network and has since exploded onto the online scene, now boasting around 40,000 new sign-ups per hour. The social network isn't open to anyone, however, and is instead invite only. Users can request an invitation on the Ello website.
"There's no finger to be placed on what caused the explosion," continued Budnitz. "It's a nice combination of word of mouth, influencers trying the network, media coverage and the veil of exclusivity since you have to be invited. It's worked quite nicely."
Despite the features that it does have, many are saying that the new website is clunky, not very full-featured and difficult to navigate. It is difficult to say whether the fact that it is not very well-featured outweighs the fact that it does not use advertising and does not gather user data.
While the social network certainly is getting a lot of attention, it's important to remember that it is not going to put Facebook out of business -- at least not immediately. It is highly unlikely that users will shut down a profile they have spent years building up simply because they got an invite to a new social network.
While the social network is claiming that it will not use ads, it will still make money. According to statements made by Budnitz, Ello will be operated in an a la carte fashion, meaning that some features will only be available to those who pay for them.
In fact, Ello has to make money somehow. The company has taken on $435,000 in venture capital funding.
"If you take venture capital at the very beginning, when you went to investors to ask for money you had to present your exit plan, because that's when the investors make their money back," said Aral Balkan, a privacy advocate who is currently building a private operating system. "Even before you built the thing, you're selling the people that you hope to get to use it."
The attention toward the new network also highlights the growing concern that many have over their privacy. Ello does not collect any personal information about its users, although Facebook certainly does. While Ello users cannot currently make their profiles private, that feature is on its way.
