zlacker

>>antina+(OP)
This reeked of being dead the day it launched, so it's hardly surpising, but it's also tragic.

Why is it so hard to create a Twitter alternative that's popular and effective? Does the world tend to gravitate towards single standards for these things, like Facebook, HTTP or email?

>>astrod+Z2
Network effects, and the existing services being "good enough"

>>Analem+k3
"Network effects" on the WWW are artificial. We need to update our laws so that neither users nor developers can be punished for using any non-disruptive browsing device. A browsing device is anything that consumes data and shows it to users later.

Little guys like App.net won't stand much of a chance against the behemoths until the U.S. legalizes competition against the tech cartels.

Once that happens, sites like App.net and Twitter can compete on an even footing, and consumers will be free to choose services based on merit rather than lock-in.