Raftr is the brand new platform promising to bring social media users a bit of peace and quiet.
We know all too well that Facebook and Twitter can both sometimes get a bit too much. When the latest piece of remotely newsworthy content hits there are opinions galore, some of which we wish we didn’t have to see.
As well as unwarranted comments, Facebook and Twitter’s content is heavily algorithm-based. This means you’ll be more likely to see similar content again and again rather than gaining a general overview of the day’s news.
Considering they’re social media platforms, more of our timelines on Twitter and Facebook is becoming content-based.
When you’ve simply headed to the site in search of a good meme to lighten your day and instead you’re bombarded with content, it can become very off-putting.
Goodbye “shouting fest”
Enter Ratftr, the startup that wants to change how we consume content.
Launched by Yahoo’s former president, Raftr doesn’t focus on what content friends and followers are interested in, instead encouraging users to follow topics.
This is an interesting twist on the usual ‘follow who you know’ approach, as you’ll instead be able to chat to those who share the same interests, rather than the same Postcode, school or workplace.
Speaking to Recode, Michael Dearing, a Raftr investor, explained how the platform was built with actively discouraging abuse and self-promotional content in mind.
He explained: “Using Raftr is like going to a really great dinner party where there’s little rooms talking about different topics and you can move from room to room”.
He said: “It’s not a shouting fest, it’s not megaphones. It’s a conversation.”
How long will we put up with the noise?
While Raftr is a fantastic concept for a new social media platform, it will take a long time for it to overthrow the likes of social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter.
They might be the digital equivalent of walking into a bar brawl, but there is a reason these two are still at the top of the social media food chain.
Where there’s a controversial breaking news story, there will always be room for extreme comment and opinion sharing – whether you want to hear it or not.
Raftr won’t challenge the top two head on, but it will offer us a break from the social media madness when it all gets a bit too much.
Will you be using Raftr? Or are you happy reading content from good old Twitter and Facebook? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
