It's unusual to see a tech reporter anticipating Net safety problems with a new social app feature. So I was impressed with a post by TechCrunch.com's Sarah Perez about Secret's forthcoming addition of "Secret Dens" for anonymous sharing in specific locations (like schools, companies and other organizations). Launched early this year, Secret is an app for sharing thoughts, "secrets," etc. … [Read more...] about Hmm. Secret to open anonymous ‘Secret Dens’
Secret
The anonymity trend & self-presentation fatigue
If you follow either tech news or kids' digital media preferences, you've probably noticed the anonymity trend – including Whisper, Secret, Yik Yak and many others. Anonymity has raised plenty of concerns but it's likely not going away. It's part of the connectivity landscape now. Why do I say that? Because it seems to be a solution to and welcome relief from the last source of major … [Read more...] about The anonymity trend & self-presentation fatigue
The app ecosystem & very public secrets
This is a sidebar to my two previous posts here and here. These are crazy times in the mediascape, and not just because of crazy valuations of startup apps. How do all these socially risky apps get out into the digital ecosphere? They don't take a lot of people, time or other resources to build anymore – not like digital media products and services of lore, anyway, as a recent NYT Magazine … [Read more...] about The app ecosystem & very public secrets
Will safety ever be ‘baked in’ to social apps?
Whether or not social apps can be made as trolling- and cyberbullying-proof as possible before they hit the app stores is a question more and more people are asking – and asking that question is a step in the right direction. The spanking-new anonymous app Secret is already making some changes after a "flap" in Silicon Valley about so-called grownup users' behavior in the app, the New York Times … [Read more...] about Will safety ever be ‘baked in’ to social apps?