A new social media contender has entered the arena, and this one doesn’t appear to be getting off to a very good start, folks.
It’s called Vero, an image sharing platform most-comparable to Instagram that’s attracting a hefty number of users, but some claim it’s not worth the hassle, or worse, not working for them at all.
Vero has been around for a few years now, but has only just picked up steam in recent days, attracting a range of influential Instagram users, most of which announced their use of the site via already established accounts on other platforms.
Users have been reporting issues like not being able to log in or sign up, app crashes, and being unable to post once they do actually get in. Considering Vero plan on charging a subscription fee for users, it’s really not an ideal situation.
According to its Twitter account, the issues stem from an influx in traffic to the site.
https://twitter.com/verotruesocial/status/967511842271744000
https://twitter.com/verotruesocial/status/967836672263184385
As you can imagine, people are taking the piss out of the entire situation.
Meanwhile in Vero’s server room… pic.twitter.com/oi6vTo1Gni
— Shawn McGuan (@the_mcgone) February 25, 2018
Others are not happy with the platform’s terms and conditions which – while not all that dissimilar to other platforms – stipulate that any content posted on the site can be used by the company without paying royalties, forever and wherever they like.
https://twitter.com/catberryphoto/status/967881237078700038
Vero’s subscription model, it says, aims to make users “customers, not advertisers,” the manifesto says. There’s no indication on exactly how much the subscription fee will cost, but it’s pretty clear the company is aiming to replicate the old days of Instagram, when posts weren’t controlled by an algorithm and advertising was near non-existent.
Even still, a lot of people don’t quite know what’s going on.
can someone explain vero to me
— ＪＯＮＥＳ 💀🍑 (@jnwiedle) February 25, 2018
I’m on Vero. I don’t really know what it is but I like the way you can share.
— Joel Birch (@joelfcbirch) February 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/foxville_art/status/967860015569698816
https://twitter.com/LouMiceliJr/status/967851921611640838
It all sounds good in theory, but how many people will wilfully pay a subscription for social media? There’s a lot of factors that go into the answer to that question, some of which we don’t have just yet, but if you feel like getting involved, Vero is offering free lifetime subscriptions to its first million users.
“We’re so excited to welcome so many new users as part of our first million who get Vero free for life!” it said in a Twitter post. “We still have room before we hit our first million users.”
Good luck out there in the already bloated social media landscape, Vero. You’ll need it.
