Anti Facebook Social Site Ello Goes Viral

Ello, is a social media site that has gone viral for its anti-Facebook platform.

Started last year as a private social networks, it has become more accessible now but membership is through invitations only.

Ello has found the perfect selling point for all the users frustrated with the very public and intrusive way Facebook operates. They believe in strict privacy and have promised no advertisements, ever. "Ello doesn't sell ads. Nor do we sell data about you to third parties," the company says, reports the Agence France Presse.

Its "manifesto" states: "We believe a social network can be a tool for empowerment. Not a tool to deceive, coerce, and manipulate -- but a place to connect, create, and celebrate life. You are not a product."

Ello is a Vermont based service and was started by a group of like-minded artists, designers and programmers led by Paul Budnitz.

The idea has taken off so well that Budnitz claims that the service is receiving nearly 31,000 requests an hour to join the platform, reports the BBC.

The site  is minimalistic and still in beta and as expected facing many bugs an glitches. Will it be able to handle the increased traffic?

"We're learning as we go but we have a very strong tech crew and back end," founder Paul Budnitz told the BBC.

What is the sustainability model for it to survive?. Not advertising for sure is what the founders say. They plan to introduce some additional premium features for a fee at a later date.

But it seems they are not averse to some kind of money being pumped in. Former Ello  member  Aral Balkan revealed that   Ello  has received $435,000 in venture capital funding, reports AFP.