January 28, 2012
Serious question

Would you pay for a social network that had the following:

  1. A facebook-like news feed (or a tumblr-like dashboard, if you prefer) except that worked well and was highly configurable
  2. The usual interaction mechanisms (comments (possibly nested), likes/hearts, etc.)
  3. Total privacy. Since you pay, there’s no reason to mine and sell your data.
  4. No ads. Revenue comes from users.
  5. Optionally open to the outside world. Want to publish like a blog? Fine. If not, also fine.
  6. Reliability. Since it’s not free, it probably wouldn’t get 500 million users.
  7. A working, fully featured API for app developers.

Yes, I recognize that the big problem is getting your people to move with you. We’d have to incentivize that somehow. And the fee we’re talking about is not much, maybe a dollar a month?

I know this is a bad place to conduct market research. But seriously, I’ve had just about enough of the bullshit that’s out there and I’m wondering what I should do with my life anyway.

  1. jamiek said: so very yes
  2. theungracefulone said: YES. Yes. YES.
  3. cocktailstraw said: I’m in! As long as I can still get Scholvin Rants.
  4. lafix said: I’m with you.
  5. morrowplanet said: In.
  6. thisistheglamorous said: Yes.
  7. c-dilla said: Yes.
  8. sunnybucket said: Yes!
  9. rartastic said: Yes. Especially if you could selectively privatize posts.
  10. ashamedtosay said: Do you need a CFO or COO for your venture? I am also wicked good at managing people and I can build your CSR program like a motherfucker.
  11. fancycwabs said: Livejournal?
  12. beefranck said: Yup.
  13. davio1962 said: You can make one of these?
  14. angryoldcoot said: BOOM! Or THIS! Or other similar meme-like response implying enthusiastic assent or acceptance.
  15. do-over said: ::breathy voice:: Yes, darling, yes. I thought you’d *never* ask. (Though what Nicky said is key. The users have to be there, too.)
  16. mattdoucette said: That sounds awesome. The MetaFilter method of charging $5 would be hugely effective for weeding out the spammers & rebloggers.
  17. nicky36 said: I probably would if the people moved.
  18. notactuallyme said: Damn skippy!
  19. alinasmith said: Even as broke as I am: YES PLEASE
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