There’s a new social network app that is making a name for itself in Silicon Valley. It’s called Secret, and its aim is to allow users to share their secrets anonymously. The app made its way to the iPhone App Store two weeks ago, and already it has emerged one of the biggest success stories in California.
People who download Secret will be able to share whatever is on their minds with persons in their contact list. These persons will have no idea who the shared secret is coming from, which we find as pretty impressive. If someone should find interest in a particular secret, it can be shared among the community to cause it to gain more traction. Furthermore, users can “heart” a secret, which is the equivalent of a Facebook “like”. In addition, the ability is there to comment on a user’s secret anonymously, which could trigger the original poster to respond. However, it might not be wise for them to have long conversations, as that might reveal who the anonymous person behind the secret is.
The popularity of secret isn’t restricted to the folks in Silicon Valley, as people in New York and Chicago are getting in on the buzz. In addition, the app is proving itself to be a trolls' paradise, as just recently one anonymous person said, "I work at Evernote and we’re about to be acquired." This sparked Evernote CEO, Phil Libin, to make a response in Twitter with a denial of the rumor.
Secret is also being used by persons who are keen on saying personal or professional things about co-workers, bosses, startup founders and companies. This kind of thing might make it easy for Secret to be adopted quickly, though it might also be the means for individuals losing their job or being humiliated in front of their peers.
It’s a great app, this Secret. It could become the next big thing, as Snapchat has proven that Internet users enjoy sharing things in a private setting. For this very reason, Secret could become the most disruptive app in 2014, and that doesn't bode well for employers and businesses in Silicon Valley.
Not to scare anyone, but if Secret takes off, it could become another pawn for the NSA as it seeks out to gather personal information.
Secret was created by ex Google employees, David Byttow and Chrys Bader.
