April 11, 2017

Could this really be the end for Twitter? For the first time since its inception in 2006, Twitter is facing some serious competition in the new social network “Mastodon.” Founded by a 24-year old Eugen Rochko, Mastodon is similar in form to Twitter, but with considerably stronger privacy controls. It also explicitly bans neo-Nazis, and so far is doing a great job of keeping the platform free of the hate-speech and trolling that has plagued Twitter in recent years.

Thus far, Rochko has eschewed private funding. Instead, his private Patreon account has funded the build and maintenance of Mastodon’s disruptive presence. Rochko has publically stated that he has no interest in taking private funding from the VC world, fearing that in doing so he would compromise the stringent social goals he holds for the service. Who will reign supreme: a dead beast, or a dying bird?

Categorized in: Uncategorized