WT.Social needs help! Operating without any advertising and without the resale of personal data, the Wikipedia social network lives only thanks to the donations of its users. And it is sorely lacking…
Do you know WT.Social ? Chances are not. And yet, this social network has many assets to seduce. Launched in 2017 under the name of WikiTribune by Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia, it takes up the basics and the spirit of the famous – and essential! – free online encyclopedia. Totally against the current of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other Twitter, it presents itself as a space for exchange that promotes the quality of content and not its popularity. And it is based on crowdfunding, based solely on donations, without any advertising or resale of personal data. In fact, WT.Social is positioned as a different social network, on the fringes of traditional economic models and constraints. Unfortunately, the adventure could end sooner than expected, due to lack of money…
WT.Social: a social network focused on content quality
“Welcome to a place where advertisers don’t decide”, can we read on the homepage of WT.Social. The social network uses the same principle as Wikipedia, working for and thanks to its community. It is intended as a place of exchange and knowledge. The users, the subwikis, choose the themes that interest them, and the publications related to them appear on the news feed. It can be articles, images or even original texts. But unlike traditional social networks, content is not highlighted according to its popularity, but according to its chronology, displaying the most recent publications first.
WT.Social intends to fight against the narcissism increased by social networks, their influence in our political speeches, the spread of fake news, the addiction to the screens they generate and their influence on children. It is intended as a real counterpoint to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, a place where passion and interaction between members reign. They are the ones who check the information and moderate the articles, ensuring the proper functioning of the platform. The Jimmy Wales social network is not financed by any advertising or by the collection and sale of users’ personal data. A more than welcome initiative when we think back to the scandals that regularly hit social networks, such as the Cambridge Analytica case. The personal data of 87 million Facebook users had leaked and had been exploited by Cambridge Analytica in early 2014. This information had been used in particular to influence voting intentions in favor of certain politicians.
WT.Social: the weakness of crowdfunding
Unfortunately, the platform does not have the expected success. It now has around 500,000 members, a number far from the 50 million subscribers hoped for by Jimmy Wales at its launch – and some 3 billion Facebook users… – and which has a strong impact on its funding. Like Wikipedia, WT.Social lives on user donations. But if its founder does not want to force anyone to contribute financially, he nevertheless had to appeal for help via email. “We are desperately short of money.”, writes Jimmy Wales. If the interface and the architecture of the network have been entirely redone by means of a new code during these last months – it must be said that they were a little rustic -, it is only thanks to the personal financing of Jimmy Wales. In addition, the platform needs funds for marketing and communication, because it is still too little known. Every small amount or registration counts. “This is our chance to break the back of toxic social media by providing a better alternative…” he concludes. Let’s hope that this beautiful project does not know a premature end…