05/02/2012
http://www.zurker.in/i-62184-ukstljbwwy
Zurker - an Introduction to the Future
In the beginning, nobody questioned the social networks. They were a great way of keeping in touch with friends and making new ones.
Eventually, concerns started to mount, and new social network applications started popping up, promising users that they would "own their data."
At Zurker, we've taken things a bit further. You don't just own your data, you own the network. Every Zurker user can very easily become a co-owner (future shareholder) of Zurker.
Why is this cool?
Zurker is a member-owned application.
This means Zurker isn't owned by a select few venture capitalists who stand to make billions and billions. There is nothing wrong with the idea of venture capitalists making billions from tech investments, but in the case of a social network, the priorities get skewed.
If social networks are owned by VC's and investment banks (such as Goldman Sachs) and other investors looking purely for profit, they gradually become orientated towards one thing and one thing only: making money. How do we mine more data from the users? How do we monetize their every action? How do we get them addicted to paid apps which improve the bottom line?
It's not a bad thing for a social network to make money, but if squeezing every last penny from the user base is the abiding concern, the users aren't going to get the best possible product.
Zurker is driven by democracy.
The traditional way for social networks to innovate has been top-down all the way. A small group of engineers make key decisions about what features should be made available. Sometimes, brilliant innovators (such as Steve Jobs) can come up with mind-blowing applications nobody knew they wanted.
But in many cases, the changes are driven by mundane things such as corporate politics, and the users are forced to adapt to changes because they have no choice.
At Zurker, we believe that if our members own the project, they will enthusiastically contribute ideas and feedback, allowing the Zurker development team to develop the social application most in tune with what people actually want.
Zurker is owned by you.
