You may have seen some tweets or status updates about ‘Ello‘, the new social network and ‘Facebook killer’. You may have even seen some people begging for an invitation to join.

The by-invite only start is similar to Google+ back when it launched. It’s a great way of building excitement and suspense. What’s it going to be like? How soon can I get my friends off Facebook and onto Ello?

Since it’s inception, and every policy update since, Facebook has been surrounded by rumours, angry chat and questions about its privacy small print and invasive ads. Brands are especially annoyed at Zuckerberg’s baby as their posts rarely get seen without being boosted by throwing money at them, thanks to a recent algorithm change.

The new, Ello social network is built on a cornerstone of promising no advertising and better privacy for the users. The interface is new and minimalist.

The screenshot is from BetaBeat, who says “Artists, performers and the LGBTQ community are fleeing Facebook for one of the web’s most mysterious communities.”
This is largely due to the feature that doesn’t require your real name to be used when setting up a profile. So bands and performers can go by their stage-names, giving their followers a more recognisable persona to follow.

So, why won’t this work? Because people are on Facebook. Most people, in face are on it and while we all complain, we have no real intention of going anywhere. Grumbling about Facebook and the latest changes has become like talking about the weather. If it’s raining, you tell your friends about it, they already know, you both open your umbrellas and get on with it.

A new network which is so different won’t inspire a behaviour change, and one that is too similar has to reason to switch. Generations who aren’t completely internet savvy have Facebook profiles to keep up with their grandkids and chat to friends. Brands are followed and share company and interest-lead updates to their fans.

In my opinion, of Ello became an aggregator for Facebook content and just took out the ads and featured only content you opt-in to, like your friends posts or brands you love, then it would be a useful front-end replacement.

What do you think? Are you excited about getting an invite to Ello? Why are you fed up with Facebook and are you looking for a replacement network?