Turner | Spin Kitchen

7 Reasons I’m Still Unsure of Ello

Written by Brit Tucker | October 20, 2014
Let’s be clear. This social network has been around longer than you think it has been. So, technically it’s not new . What makes it new is the fact that it’s new to most of us. Ello started as the ad-free social media network for the artist community. Sounds a little egotistical, but the curious side of me totally loves this Colorado-built-artists’-social-network. But, as much as I want to get behind Ello right now, I just don’t know if I can bring myself to it. Why? Well, I’m glad you asked… 1.  Search is not intuitive. How am I supposed to find people I know? Yes, I want to connect with new people, but I’d like to find my people, too. 2.  The interface is almost too simple. Yes, I went there. It’s intuitive, but it’s not. Sometimes I just start clicking on buttons to try to get where I need to go. 3.  It’s still invite only. I’m on the fence about this one. I love the exclusivity of it (I’m a sucker for joining a social network before anyone else does. Can you say early adopter?). But, I also hate that most of my crew isn’t on here. And, by crew, I don’t mean the normal Facebook bunch or my Twitter followers, I just mean the other like-minded friends of mine who would appreciate the platform. 4.  There’s no mobile app. Sure, it’s responsive, but this girl would love a mobile app. According to its feature list, iOS and Android apps fall under the “Coming Soon” list. 5.  It’s ad-free. And, it’s fantastic (it still doesn’t stop brands from joining the social network). So, how will Ello make money? Founder Paul Budnitz says they’ll sell specific features so users can upgrade their own profile. Smells a little bit like the old MySpace with hints of Tumblr. 6.  You can only comment. Sometimes I don’t want to comment. I just want to like something. It’s why the “Like,” “Favorite,” and “Love” features on numerous platforms have performed well. People love to like, it’s part of our DNA now, so don’t take that away from us. 7.  Do we really need another social network? Even Clickhole mocks the new platform with Zylch. I mean, I won’t lie when I say I still check Facebook regularly. And Tweet. And Instagram every place I visit. Or Tumblr my way through the daily news. But, what does Ello do differently that other social networks are not doing already (ignoring the ad-free element)? It honestly doesn’t do anything different. Maybe I’m just being cynical? But, really, I’m just being apathetic. I have no plans to delete my Ello account anytime soon. Because let’s be honest; if, for some reason Ello finally picks up, the self-absorbed side of me would really like to say I was one of its first users. Do I win a prize for that? No, but at least I have my self-dignity or something. - Brit ( @fruitsnutsflake)