Source: The Verge
Summary
Roost, a side project developed by a solo creator, has unexpectedly gained 300,000 users. The app offers an alternative to the fast-paced online culture of traditional social media platforms. According to the developer, people are drawn to Roost’s unique approach.
Our Reading
The launch follows a familiar script.
Roost is being touted as a solution to the woes of social media, but it’s just another iteration of the same ideas we’ve seen before. “Alternative” social media platforms are nothing new, and the promise of a slower-paced online experience sounds suspiciously like what we were promised with the advent of Facebook Groups or Google+. Roost’s success is likely due to its novelty rather than any genuinely new features. And let’s be real, 300,000 users is a drop in the bucket compared to the billions of users on established platforms. Roost is just the latest attempt to rebrand a familiar concept and call it innovative.
Author: Evan Null
