SPOTLIGHT: Ello, The New Social Network On The Block

The new social network “Ello” has been getting a lot of press lately, so I thought this Wednesday’s spotlight might be a good time to share some of my experiences with it.  Is it going to be an EdTech tool any time in the near future?  Absolutely not.  Is the rise of interest in it fascinating?  100% yes.  If you log on to Ello, you’re treated to a relatively spartan experience.  As the creators state, the network is still in beta and new features are added every day.  The site is currently beyond beta, however.  If there was a stage before beta (gamma?), this would be it:

The interest in Ello, however, probably has more to do with its “manifesto” than the actual site itself.  The manifesto reads:

So as far as a “review” there’s not much to say.  That, in itself, is the review.  The site is still so new and nascent that it’s hard to be able to tell where it will go.  It borrows from the same idioms as other social networks… link sharing, friending, etc. without adding too much that’s new.  In fact, I think that’s the point.  It’s the manifesto that’s new, not the experience.

So if you’re on Ello, feel free to give me an add.  If you’d like to check it out for yourself, I still have one invite left.  Leave a comment below and include your email address.  (Don’t worry, leaving your address in the “email” field means I will see it, but others will not.  Likewise if you comment using a WordPress log-in.)  I’ll randomly pick a recipient and send an invite your way.  Deadline: Friday, October 3 at 11:59pm, EST.

This is a post from my ongoing effort every Wednesday to highlight apps, web services, and vendors that may be of interest to higher education and student affairs professionals.  I do not work for these companies, nor do I always endorse them, per se, but am sharing them to highlight tools that others may find useful.  Have an example to share?  Tweet me.