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Ello is like that party that you're dying to go to, but you didn't get an invite so you have to play it cool

Have you heard about Ello? It's a new social network that prides itself on being simple and ad-free. It's also currently invite only. 


I'm still waiting on my invite, but you know, if it doesn't come then, whatever. I didn't want to join anyway. *Shoves hands in pockets* *Haphazardly kicks a stray can*.

 When I say that the Ello prides itself on being ad-free I really, really mean it. Check out a message on their site:
"Your social network is owned by advertisers.
Every post you share, every friend you make and every link you follow is tracked, recorded and converted into data. Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You are the product that’s bought and sold.
We believe there is a better way. We believe in audacity. We believe in beauty, simplicity and transparency. We believe that the people who make things and the people who use them should be in partnership. We believe a social network can be a tool for empowerment. Not a tool to deceive, coerce and manipulate — but a place to connect, create and celebrate life.
You are not a product."
After reading that you may be thinking, "Ok, no ads. But...what exactly is Ello?".  And the simple answer? It's just like Facebook or Google +, but for hipsters who don't like ads. The better answer would be: A place for creatives to share their work and inspirations with each other, and their admirers, without the noise of paid advertisements. But that's just what I got from browsing the featured public profiles for a few minutes. I still haven't gotten my invite yet *checks watch* *peers into Ello's windows*.

Sidenote: I know some people cringe when being referred to as hipsters. But I honestly don't know what else to call something with profiles that look like this:

And this:


I like the clean look of it all, but that comes from the professional-grade photos. I can't really see how the average cellphone selfie taker will fare among the DSLR toting Ello crowd.

And to be quite honest? Ello may be able to get away with not having ads on the site for now, but somewhere out there a social media marketing "guru" or "maven" is maniacally rubbing their hands together, waiting for their invite so they can very gently push their vintage inspired bikes or cozy cardigans onto the Ello crowd. Sorry Ello, but rowdy marketers are going to crash your private party soon enough!

In the meantime, I'll just wait on my invite.





It's coming, right??

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