Wikipedia co-founder launches a social networking site to rival Facebook, Twitter

Jimmy Wales, co-founder of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia, has launched its own social networking site to rival Facebook, and the micro-blogging website Twitter.

The new social networking website named WT: Social orย WikiTribune launched on November 6ย has now surpassed more than 200,000 members within days of its launch, claimed Wales.

Unlike its rival Facebook and Twitter that is data-driven by ad-funded models, the new site makes money by depending on โ€œthe generosity of individual donorsโ€ rather than ads.

Wales plans to use the โ€œnews focusedโ€ social network to retaliate against the โ€œfake news and low-quality contentโ€ that proliferates across other social media platforms.

โ€œAs social networks have grown, they’ve also amplified the voices of bad actors across the globe. Fake news has influenced global events, and algorithms care only about “engagement” and keeping people addicted to platforms without substance.

โ€œWikiTribune wants to be different.

โ€œWe will never sell your data. Our platform survives on the generosity of individual donors to ensure privacy is protected and your social space is ad-free,โ€ reads the introductory pageย toย WT: Social.

“We will empower you to make your own choices about what content you are served, and to directly edit misleading headlines, or flag problem posts.

“We will foster an environment where bad actors are removed because it is right, not because it suddenly affects our bottom-line.

โ€œBut this will only work withย yourย help. So join today and help change the landscape of social media,โ€ the page adds.

While Wales doesn’t expect the social network to be profitable, he said it will be able to sustain. He added that the site will also be completely free from click baits.

For those unaware, WT:Social is actually a by-product of ‘WikiTribune.’ WikiTribune was launched on April 25, 2017 as a news-sharing service where volunteers can write and curate articles about widely publicized news by proofreading, fact-checking, suggesting possible changes, and adding sources from other established outlets. However, the venture didnโ€™t work out as expected, pushing Wales to open a new platform with a more social networking focus.

WT:Social will let users share articles and promote a collaborative approach to generate high-quality journalism. The site will show new contents first unlike Facebook that prioritizes content that is sponsored or receiving a lot of engagement.

While WT:Social is free to join but currently there is a waiting list for new users. However, there is an option to skip the waiting list either by subscribing to the service or by inviting friends to create an account.

The subscription is $12.99 a month or $100 a year in the U.S., โ‚ฌ12 a month or โ‚ฌ90 a year in Europe, and ยฃ10 a month and ยฃ80 per year in the UK.

Kavita Iyer
Kavita Iyerhttps://www.techworm.net
An individual, optimist, homemaker, foodie, a die hard cricket fan and most importantly one who believes in Being Human!!!
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