Mediaboss Marketing

In case you missed the glorious news: The iconic 00s social media site Bebo is coming back!

Yep, millennials its finally our time to shine. No longer do we have to try and blend in with Gen Z on TikTok because Bebo announced over the weekendthat it would return in February 2021 as a brand-new social network, according to their website.

Sadly, this does meanthat all of our old accounts, data, and cringey, overexposed selfies from many years ago are gone forever. But, on the plus side, the site has shared that theyve already banned Trump from the platform before its even launched. Praise be.

The new platform has actually been developed by the original founders of the 2005 site, so its bound to be great. However, there hasbeen no confirmation on whether the new social platform will incorporate the iconic elements of the original site.

Arguably a whole lot better than MySpace (dont tell 80s and early 90s babies that) and way more inventive than Facebook (dont tell boomers and people with kids that), Bebo had so many features that we are currently desperately missing on social media.

So here are all the things that made Bebo the best social networking website of all time:

The biggest rush you could get in high school was receiving one of someones three luvs for the day. Sure, it personally caused me to have several mental breakdowns along the way, but stalking how many luvs your friends had and watching who gave them to your crush was truly thrilling stuff.

On Facebook, the only thing close to an other half is when you update your relationship status with your partner or turn your friend into your sister. But not on Bebos watch normalise platonic other halves!

The only real problem the other half feature brings is in friendship groups with odd numbers, where someone is bound to be other half-less. Or, of course, when your friend dumps you as their other half so they can slot in their girlfriend or boyfriend or in 2021, it would probably now most likely be their husband or wife,or even their own kid.

The best part about Bebo was the ability to customise your page with the most outrageous skins imaginable.

Just like MySpace, Bebo taught a lot of us how to incorporate elements of graphic design (terribly, admittedly) and coding to create the perfect ~look~ for our profiles. And by perfect look, I mean text that probably read: B3b0s H0TT3st ChiiCK in hot pink with an arrow pointing to the profile photo.

Honestly, the way we all used to type on Bebo took some skill. Knowing exactly which letters to replace so that words didnt look too planned out or unreadable was an art in itself. It was also always a fun time using :L instead of lmao or hahaha.

Much simpler times, and it seems like its definitely time to BriinG iiT [emailprotected]

What a lot of social media platforms are missing is the ability to actually express personality. No one really uses the bio function on Facebook, plus Twitter and Instagram only give you a certain amount of characters to say who you are. Bebo cant relate.

Bebo gave you space to talk about yourself, in something thats more reminiscent of a dating site like Hinge. You could share what music you liked, the movies that best summed up your taste, and the exact sports you were interested in within their own little sections. Hell, the site even had a spot for you to share what you were scared of and what made you happiest. Can Facebook do that? I dont think so.

Sure, MySpace might have created the Top 8, but Bebo gave us the iconic Top 16.

And while I probably dont even have 16 friends to put in my top slots these days, Id like to have the option. Plus, how can anyone forget the tactic of just adding a bunch of fake arrow profiles that had text describing your best friends like < BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE > in spot number two or SEXY BITCH > in the bottom corner?

Bebo also gave us the most petty way to fight with friends through the Top 16, too. I mean, is there really anything more petty thanquietly re-ranking your Top 16, and then updating your bio with a random lyric about fake friends? Long gone is the need for dramatic Instagram and Snapchat story posts with cryptic captions! Just switch your friend from spot three to spot nine!

Before we had Instagram influencers, Bebo Stunnahs were ruling the internet.

These Bebo Stunnah pages were essentially just profiles that would collate the ~stunning girls~ using the website, and honestly? The Stunnahs were the elite on Bebo. Everyone dreamed of being one, andbecause everyone desperately wanted to be featured as a Bebo Stunnah, we took as many pics of ourselves as possible.

The unmatched confidence I possessed as a teen when submitting my pics to these pages is something I wish I had now. We all had so much self-love. I mean, having entire albums dedicated to selfies, which were all basically the same photo, was the norm. Sure they were over-exposed and had far too much contrast, but we still took those pics and posted them anyway like the bad bitches we are.

Bebos Flashbox was the perfect way to show people how cool you were by unearthing music before anyone else. Or, if you were a moody teen like me, Flashbox was the way you expressed how you were feeling about life.

Of course, most of the time, we all seemed to just settle on DJ Sammys Heaven for some reason. But Im not mad at it, and if Flashbox returned, it would probably still be my page anthem.

Being able to draw a set of dick and balls on your friends whiteboard? Iconic. Bebo, you better be bringing it back RIGHT NOW.

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Bebo Is Coming Back This Month, And It's Time To Admit That There's Been No Better Social Media - Junkee

The stock price of Lizhi Inc (NASDAQ: LIZI) a leading online user-generated audio community and interactive audio entertainment platform in China is trading at over 70% today as it went from a previous close of $5.16 to over $8.80 (as of 1:48 PM ET). Investors are responding to the company issuing a letter to shareholders. The letter was issued by the companys Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jinnan (Marco) Lai.

It is my pleasure to issue the first letter to shareholders on behalf of LIZHI INC. after the company went public. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all our shareholders for your support and trust over the past year. 2020 was indeed an extraordinary year for all of us, said Lai. The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused many disruptive changes and uncertainties to our daily lives. Even so, 2020 was a landmark year for LIZHI as we successfully listed our shares on the Nasdaq Global Market in the U.S. Embarking on our new journey as a public company is a milestone and a new beginning for us. Despite the challenging macro environment, we have stood our ground and are proud to have achieved certain impressive results.

Lai said that the company has a goal of becoming one of the largest audio platforms globally. And based on the companys vision of globalization, it put forward a strategy to expand our global footprint through audio innovation in 2020. Shortly after launching in the U.S., the companys audio-based social product Tiya became ranked in the top 4 social networking apps in the U.S. And within a few months of Tiyas launch worldwide, it was ranked among the top 10 social networking apps in about 50 countries worldwide.

We believe that online social networking through audio will become a dominant method of social networking in the future, Lai added. People enjoy meeting and chatting in cafes, bars, and restaurants which is probably one of the most genuine and engaging ways to socialize. Encouragingly, we are now able to mimic such forms of social networking through real-time online audio networking platforms, where people get together virtually, chat online and share their daily lives. We envision a future where real-time audio-based social networking can be realized anytime anywhere either through the mirrors in restrooms, in self-driving smart cars, or through smart headsets that people carry around.

The company also launched an Innovation Training Camp internally to equip employees with innovative thinking in tandem with scientific methods. And the company also continued to invest in our management team with a lot of resources and systematic training to enhance management skills.

We firmly believe that the upcoming 5G and IoT era will widen prospects and potential for audio products, and we will spare no effort to provide users with high-quality services. In addition to the continuous optimization of our existing product offerings, we launched a new mobile app, LIZHI Podcast (also named LIZHI BOKE in Chinese), in January 2021, to provide our users with a more compelling podcast experience, explained Lai. We also are striving to broaden our product offerings for a variety of use cases, such as in-car audio and smart home. We are committed to providing users with a better audio experience and meeting their audio needs under different use scenarios.

This year, the companys core strategy is to create more connections between people and provide them companionship through our online audio platforms, aiming to increase brand recognition and attract a broader user base all over the world.

Disclaimer: This content is intended for informational purposes. Before making any investment, you should do your own analysis.

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LIZI Stock Price Increases Over 70%: Why It Happened - Pulse 2.0

On any given night, according to a blog post this week from founders Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, there are thousands of different rooms that people can join for live conversations. "Hosts" act as moderators of conversations and those in the room can raise their hands, virtually, to have their mic turned on to lend their voice. Participants include a who's-who list of venture capitalists, tech leaders and celebrities.

Davison and Seth, who are both well connected in the tech industry from previous roles at top companies, said their goal with Clubhouse "was to build a social experience that felt more human where instead of posting, you could gather with other people and talk."

"There are all these kinds of nuances of language that exist in text, but in real-time audio are even more fleeting and difficult to wrap one's hands around," said Sarah Roberts, an assistant professor at UCLA and content moderation expert. "By the time any moderation might be applied, the damage could essentially already have been done."

With the new funding, the company said it plans to scale its Trust & Safety team, listing two new job postings devoted to the topic.

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This audio-only social app has Twitter on alert - CNN

Pritish Nandy: Not at all. It will be counter-productive. Anything censored goes underground as we have all seen over the years: alcohol, drugs, gutka, pornography. The only thing that works is clearly outlined reasonable regulations. The only thing that can be reasonably censored is that which compromises national security. Nothing else. OTT is not free to air television. It is a paid service. People make a conscious decision while paying their subscriptions. If they dont like what they get, they should cancel their subscription and get off the platform. They cannot force the platform to change their content. Would you ask Hindustan Unilever to change the ingredients of their toothpaste if it offended you? Or would you simply change your toothpaste brand? Content is an FMCG product today. Respect it and treat it as one.

Pratik Gandhi: I don't think it's needed. We need censors in cars to avoid accidents. Not in the field of arts.

Apurva Asrani: I am against government controlled censorship. In a democracy one has every right to express oneself. Having said that, we live in a society where people of diverse cultural & economic backgrounds exist. It would be prudent to exercise some sort of self censorship in order to be sensitive to this diversity.

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Should there be censorship on digital platform? Major OTT players respond - National Herald

Hello via @Joinclubhouse

San Francisco-basedClubhouse, an emerging audio social network,raised$100 million led by Andreessen Horowitz at a $1 billion post-money valuation. Silicon Valleys latest unicorn, just under a year old, has digirati, influencers, industry experts and those seeking an coveted invitation to join the exclusive clubabuzz.

Founded by Silicon Valley friends Paul Davison and Rohan Seth in March 2020, Clubhouse set out to connect people in meaningful conversations via a drop-in audio platform. In June 2020, my friend Ben Parr suggested I give Clubhouse a try. Then, in extremely limited, private beta, I thought it would be next to impossible to make time for yet another social platform.

As a former member of private clubs such as Soho House and the Battery, I was wary of joining another exclusive club. Even in its early stages, the promise was clear.At the time, the finite set of users hosted audio rooms where conversations focused on startup and tech innovation, COVID-19, and Black Lives Matter (BLM).

Within weeks, I followed conversations led by an incredible array of successful entrepreneurs sharing their stories and advice such as Alexis Ohanian, Ev Williams, Scooter Braun, and Ashton Kutcher. I also followed along in conversations led by celebrities such as Wiz Khalifa,Ava DuVernay, Tiffany Haddish, and Kevin Hart,that werent about celebrity at all. This didnt feel hierarchical. It felt like a community. And none of it was a waste of time. From the get-go, I was immersed in conversations that were deep, philosophical, and raw.

I couldnt stop listening. Ask anyone who uses Clubhouse, and Ill bet they say the same thing.

Unlike other social networks, I found myself sharing less and listening more, joining room after room across a variety of topics. I also actively participated in rooms dedicated to meta conversations about Clubhouse itself, how the platform could improve, and ways to grow while keeping conversations and engagement intimate. Co-Founder Paul Davidson often participates in these discussions to listen, learn, and share his ideas. I admire that in Paul.

Clubhouse Home Screen

Does the World Need Another Social Network?

If you could plug into a live conversation about a topic, youre passionate about, on demand, anywhere in the world, and have an opportunity to not only listen to some of the smartest people on the subject, but also participate with them, would you?

Thats the premise (and promise) of Clubhouse.

Its reminiscent of the early days of Twitter. In 2006 or 2007, I said that news no longer breaks, it Tweets. It was exciting, and unprecedented, to be part of a human seismograph that represented the real-time trends, conversations, randomness, and events around the world. Twitter quickly became a real-time, virtual water cooler, a digital wild west of sorts, where the value of the platform was created by creators,curators, and consumers. Its where the#hashtagwas created! And, those conversations spilled over into the real world, igniting Tweet-ups, Twitter-focused conferences, movements, and revolutions.

Clubhouse feels like the early days of Twitter right now. Eventually, it will grow more than the current two million active users it houses now. Live video, podcasts, and conferences will feature Clubhouse panels or broadcast to the platform, and serious FOMO will attract people to participate online in ways that feel more productive and gratifying than in other networks.

Clubhouse is a Live Conversation, and Everyone Can Participate Their Way

At a time when live events are postponed, cancelled, or virtualized due to the global pandemic, Clubhouse came along and did what other networks or virtual events couldnt, unite a group of enthusiastic, informed, curious, and open-minded people to talk about and collaborate around industry and societal trends.

Jeremiah Owyang, a well-known and highly regarded tech analyst, long-time friend and neighbor, and also my original guide on Clubhouse, noted that Clubhouse launched at the right time.

Clubhouse Chat app is the perfect quarantine app, he observed. People, isolated and lonely, seek to connect, at a human level. With conferences, bars, and vacations cancelled, people can have meaningful conversations that enable more empathy than text-based social networks, yet don't run the risk of video fatigue. The dead simple features make it easy for users to onboard, and also multi-task, clean the house, or make dinner.

At a time when working from home has everyone coping with video fatigue anddigital burnout, Clubhouse introduced a new experience that, like Twitter, captured its modern zeitgeist among early adopters.

Principal investor at early-stage fund SignalFire, former TechCrunch Editor-At-Large, and good friendJosh Constinedescribed its rabid appeal this way, Clubhouse was born out of the Quarantine User Loan that helped it build its initial critical mass of concurrent listeners while everyone was stuck at home. But its snowballed big enough to survive paying that loan back post-COVID.

The Quarantine Concurrent User Loan for Synchronous Apps

Indeed, Clubhouse was a boon when it launched at the beginning of shelter-in-place orders and, for better or worse, Clubhouse is still benefitting from COVIDs unwanted staying power.

Clubhouse Recreates the Magic of Your Favorite Conferences, on the Small Screen

When you find the right people in the right room, Clubhouse is as whimsical as it is invigorating. It can be refreshingly productive when other networks feel draining. It can be inspiring. Its also rather nostalgic, in the best possible way. If you dont like a room, you can quietly piece out.

For those who were on the front lines in the rise of social media, youll likely remember the excitement, the hope, and the eagerness to learn, share, and grow together. Like you, I voraciously attended the early days of user-generated conferences and unconferences such as BarCamp and lobby cons and even organized commercial events such as Web 2.0 Summit, South by Southwest, TED, LeWeb, and most of the overwhelming number of conferences that defined the rise of Web 2.0, the app economy, and beyond. Together they shaped the internet, our personal and professional relationships and career trajectories, and each, in their own way, captured their zeitgeist.

There was magic in the air and on the web. These connections were digital and social gravity.

Events such as SXSW, still carry this magic. Every year, people from all walks of life, at every level, submit panels and talks to become part of the geek Spring Break in Austin and will again once we defeat COVID. You know the drill. Vote for my talk requests populate social media, which then gives way to, attend my talk as the event drew closer. Lines still bend around convention center and hotel hallways, or around blocks for outside events, for those hoping be part of meaningful conversations.

What these early social platforms and live events share, is serendipity, connection, learning, and sharing.

This is what Clubhouse feels like, right now. Its all of these things with the potential to be so much more.

Owyang helped explain why.

Text-based social networks lack the human connection that we're missing out on during isolation Live video is draining, the forced attention to stare into a lifeless camera, and two dimensions is taxing, he expressed. Clubhouse Chat app is in the Goldilocks category during quarantine, the perfect mix of voice-based emotion, yet less taxing.

Conversations and connections are currencies on Clubhouse.

Like Twitters interest graph or Facbook and Instagrams social graph, Constine elaborated on Clubhouses unique value proposition, The Clubhouse Talk Graph as he explained, represents a different set of people to follow than on Twitter or Instagram people you want to hear having unscripted talks on their expertise so those other apps cant copy its experience even if they clone its features.

Constines point is something Clubhouse has to already consider. Competition is inevitable.

For example, Twitter is working onTwitter Spaces, a Clubhouse-like feature that also allows groups to gather via voice conversations. While in limited beta, Twitter is making big moves. The company recently acquired Breaker, with the team, notably, friend and trail blazer Leah Culver, focusing exclusively on building out Twitter Spaces to compete head on with Clubhouse.

With vaccines rolling out around the world, the solitude of COVID-19, and the unique conditions driving Clubhouses growth, is finite in this phase. The world will re-open. The race for relevance post-pandemic really begins now.

This is something that Owyang has also considered.

The future of Clubhouse remains unclear, while they will continue to have skyrocketing growth to match the funding expectations, expect user fall off, as the world starts to return to physical in-person events, warmer weather, and vacations resume, he advised. For now, Clubhouse, has our attention.

And for now, it seems to have our attention, a lot of it, and also it represents an unquenchable thirst for meaningful community and engagement, especially in light of the chaos and devastation that played out in the forms of disinformation, political theater, and divisiveness across other social networks.

Clubhouse seems to be intently focused for now, using its newly infused investment to scale, open the door to more invitations, improve ranking and discovery, and also invest in a creator economy.

After all these years of social networking innovation, filters, augmented reality, live video, et al., it took an audio, drop-in audio chat app to remind us that meaningful connections and conversations online, beyond clout, really matter.

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The Latest Silicon Valley Unicorn, Clubhouse Raises $100 Million And Also Raises Attention To The Importance Of Audio-Based Social Networking - Forbes