Many people believe that the Internet is “broken”, they think that the founding manifesto of Online services has been lost in the deep unfathomable abyss of personal aggrandizement, political posturing, & band standing for financial gain. These thoughts apply to almost all the major social networks out there. The world of social media can quickly become a mean & nasty space.
According to Marc Bodnick, a tech veteran who has had dealings with social media from their outset, a new, kinder & accountable social media network is sorely needed. Also, by virtue of his experience with services such as Quora & Facebook (he was one of the early investors), he believes that he’s just the man to build & launch this fresh network. So, with Richard Henry, also a social network veteran (Quora), he has launched Telepath, a social media network, which aims to fix all that is “unwell” in this space at present.
According to Telepath’s founders the underlying reasons for the current “faults” found on social media Sites were that people can “hide” under their usernames or business aliases, & that (partly also due to this), they can open & maintain multiple fake accounts, which by their very nature lack personal accountability. As a direct result, people can cause discord, abuse others & simply disappear without ever having to “face the music” for their actions. To mend this flaw, Telepath will require users to join up using their “real” names & mobile phone numbers. Personal accountability is what this is all about.
As to rules, Telepath’s founders are adamant that the only salient tenet is kindness, they will demand that users treat each other with respect. If they don’t, they will face community ousting.
Telepath has been built so that users can follow & expand their interests through meaningful conversations with others…which was exactly what the original social media Sites were for, a reason that has, unfortunately, been lost.
At present, access to the Telepath apps (Android & iOS) is by “invitation only”, but people who admire what it stands for can sign up to a waiting list, to gain early access. It’s been reported that the founders are currently testing it rigorously, with about 4000 pre-screened users.
When you get the invitation, remember, we reported in first.
Image credit: Telepath
