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# The long, slow Ello
- URL: https://onemanandhisblog.com/2014/09/ello-attention-challenges-growth/
- Published: 2014-09-30T12:44:39.000Z
- Updated: 2015-04-08T16:22:46.000Z
- Author: Adam Tinworth
- Tags: Ello, privacy, social networking, social networks, venture capital

![Ello Ello Adders](https://i0.wp.com/www.onemanandhisblog.com/content/images/2014/09/Ember.png?resize=960%2C643 "Ember.png")

So, [Ello](https://ello.co/?ref=onemanandhisblog.com), then.

[I’m on there](https://ello.co/adders?ref=onemanandhisblog.com). Lots of people are on there (even if they’re [not really using it yet](http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/29/no-people-are-not-leaving-facebook-in-droves-for-ello/?ref=onemanandhisblog.com)). But I’m very far from convinced just yet.

Being wary of Facebook’s use of personal data is a positive thing, I’d agree. But that, in of itself, is not necessarily enough to build a new business on. You can’t compete if you just do things differently to Facebook, you need to be compellingly better. And right now, Ello – which is, admittedly, in beta – is *not* compellingly better. It’s fun. It’s lightweight. I’m not sure the “typewriter” aesthetic would be my choice, but there you are. But it’s not better right now.

And there are [plenty of alarm bells ringing](https://aralbalkan.com/notes/ello-goodbye/?ref=onemanandhisblog.com) about how compellingly different it actually can be now it has take venture capital.

I’m convinced that the wheel will turn away from Facebook at some point, but I bet it won’t be to something everyone is celebrating as a Facebook killer. No, it’ll be to something that does things differently enough that, at first, no-one sees the connection.

Anyway, I’ve written [a deeper analysis of Ello](http://nextco.nf/elloadders?ref=onemanandhisblog.com) for NEXT Conference – and you can [connect with me on Ello](https://ello.co/adders?ref=onemanandhisblog.com), if you’d like…