24-hour social network tapping into data fears

Sobrr

, a social network built by its founder after deleting “every trace of what had happened” at his stag party in Las Vegas, may tap into a desire to move away from the “level of control” and “illusion

" of Facebook and Twitter profiles according to industry experts.

Elaine Verdon, youth communications director with Dublin media agency Thinkhouse, said while Sobrr – a social network which lasts for 24 hours – "feels like it isn't doing anything different" to some market leaders, it might appeal to "a certain part of you that's almost exhibitionist" which had made self-destructing messaging apps like Snapchat and its imitators gain success of late.

Sobrr, said its San Francisco-based creator Bruce Yang, wanted to be the social network that "forgives and forgets".

Yang told The Irish Times: "The major difference between the online world and the real world is that there is always a record of our online communication that anyone could go in and search up a word-by-word conversation from a couple years ago. This, in my opinion, is the bane of today's social network."

Instead, Sobrr relies on “temporary friendship”, with Yang noting that “in real life, it is common for a person to meet someone new and carry out a conversation with the person, but they would not become true friends until after they have gotten to know each other”.

His social network, he said, portrayed the same social interaction in which people can choose to be friends for 24 hours or permanently. Users can follow each other and ‘cheer’ comments, while photos are tagged geographically only once.

Early days

Sobrr is still very much in its infancy: the iOS version launched last month (an Android version is due this autumn) and it currently has just over 2,000 users. Dodson said that, like a number of emerging social networks, Sobrr was “trying to find a nook or cranny to position itself” somewhere between the established market leaders.

The social media market is “a little bit Wild West and there’s a lot of easy money flying around for anyone who comes up with an app like this.”

After trailing the app, Verdon said she could see some benefits to the Sobrr model.

“It’s based on where you are at that space and time which in theory is actually really lovely for say something like being at [the] Longitude [festival] this weekend and you’re looking to share or connect with people at that moment”.

However, having noted some usability issues with the app, she said in a market with plenty of innovative ideas – such as Ello, a recently launched, ad-free “really user friendly” invitation-only social network – Sobrr might struggle to live long in the memory.

Yang said that, with no revenue as of yet, the San Francisco-based company hoped to eventually make funds through daily app deals with local bars and restaurants, “once we have a more solid user base”.