Facebook’s Slingshot Forces You to Participate, Not for Passive Users


SlingshotSnapchat, the smartphone app that sends photos or videos that disappear right after you view them. Slingshot, the new Facebook app that is almost exactly like Snapchat. Except, in order to view the media, you must send one first! Like its rival, media isn't meant to be saved. All you see is a pixelated image until you respond, and it disappears immediately once it is viewed. The goal, according to Slingshot product manager Will Ruben, is that no one can be lazy; “everybody's a creator and nobody's just a spectator”.

Slingshot1Am I missing something here? What if the way to get creative was to send a photo or video responding to what was sent to you first? This is part of the worry associated with this new, almost “copy-catted” app, along with the fear it will gain no traction. There is no such thing as an app that has 100 % participation. But, there are definitely apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat, where users can just sit back, relax, and view; never having to actually use it. So for the first time, an app can only work if you use it. Here is the ultimate Slingshot question: is mandatory participation a turn off, or alluring? Considering its likeness to Snapchat, it may be hard to convince users this is a completely different kind of service. It's definitely nothing new to technology.

Slingshot2I think it's safe to say passive social media users won't be early adopters of the new game. At the same time, could you picture (yes, pun intended) Snapchat lovers adopting something so similar, and so secondary? Sure, it raises barriers instead of tearing them down; but it also increases the friction of viewing a friend's photo, with risk of deleting the entire “want” to even view it. However, if you happen to be someone who loves spontaneity, taking selfies or video with their gadgets, this could be just as fun as Snapchat. According to a Facebook post, “Photos and videos that don't stick around forever allow for sharing that's more expressive, raw, and spontaneous”. Slingshot succeeds Poke, a Facebook messaging app from 2012 that was recently shut down due to lack of use. Time will surely tell whether this “new” way of sharing is new enough to excite app lovers.

Topics: Technology News Gadgets & Peripherals Smartphones & Mobile Devices Tablets

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