Will Ello succeed as 'anti-Facebook'?

Ello is a new social network

Editor's note: Jeff Yang is a columnist for The Wall Street Journal Online and can be heard frequently on radio as a contributor to shows such as PRI's "The Takeaway" and WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show." He is the author of "I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action" and editor of the graphic novel anthologies "Secret Identities" and "Shattered." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

 You may have seen mentions of the mysterious new social network Ello pop up in feeds on the social networks you actually belong to such as Facebook and Twitter -- usually followed by a casual but plaintive request to join it.

Well, I've been to Ello and back, and if you haven't managed to snag an invite, you'll be relieved to know you're not missing much. At least not yet.

The site, founded by hipster toy designer and entrepreneur Paul Budnitz, has been dubbed the "anti-Facebook" by technology pundits, both for its stark, aggressively monochromatic aesthetic and for its policies. Ello promises no ads, no selling of data, no requirement that users register under their real names and no restrictions against obscene or pornographic content.

Jeff Yang

Unfortunately for Ello, the list of Facebook contrasts doesn't end there. Facebook is a bustling scrum, its virtual boulevards crowded with content and conversation. Ello is more like a gallery, austere and empty and a little bit chilly. There are things to look at, but if there are discussions taking place they're happening in hushed tones in remote corners.

 Facebook can be personalized with a plethora of features and apps. Too many, actually. The carnival-style come-ons to install this or that game or social widget your friends happen to be addicted to are one of the annoying things about the service. But Ello's customization options are basically nil. You can change your pictures, sort of (there's no way to resize images on the site itself, so unless you have access to image manipulation software or your camera naturally snaps photos at 340 x 340, your page will look like mine — with a banner focused on my forehead and an avatar that's the random upper-left corner of a picture in which my face isn't even visible).

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