chrysb

Sorry, I missed the parent thread.

This all started with a very simple question: Do we fundamentally believe that technology can help us create more meaningful relationships and increase our social wellness?

If we believe the answer is yes, then we absolutely must do everything in our power and ability to try to find the answer. That's why we decided to build Ikaria.

We are not ignorant to the value of real, in-person communication and interaction, and we're not trying to replace it. We've done deep research on the psychology of relationships and loneliness, and the mental health impact of it. The problem exists with or without social media, although numerous studies have shown the problem can be exacerbated by social media.

Since we cannot avoid technology, we must reclaim it and give people spaces where they can form healthy habits and healthy relationships with their phones and each other. Very much like the fitness industry was born from a junk food epidemic, it's time for a shake-up in junk social nutrition.

Our goal is to bring healthy relational practices to the forefront. Very much like Calm and Headspace have done for mindfulness and mental health, we would like to do for social health. From what we've seen, the behaviors we learn in a digital space are transferable into the physical world.

We are working directly with experts and mental health professionals to help inform our product decisions and include them from the very beginning. This is bigger than any one person or idea, and we believe it's going to take a village.

So far, in our closed beta, people are reporting feeling closer to everyone in their groups, increased levels of happiness, and a positive relationship with the app. (i.e. "This is the only app where I allow notifications other than text")

For me, personally, it's brought me much closer to my parents and I keep in touch with them more than I ever have. I'd love for more people to have that experience.

We welcome criticism and support equally, thank you to everyone who has shown interest and has shared their views.

Big fan of Zesty for personal meals. Can't wait to use their catering service when we move into our new offices.

This was the least polished part of the app. I have the next version already designed, which adds discovery improvements and more polish and depth to the interactions. Alas, we decided not to implement it before launch.

Hi, I'm one of the founders. Secret also has some important aspects worth discussing:

1) It's curated. By your friends. The posts you see are things that your friends are sharing.

2) Conversations are all within your circle of friends. As a result, we don't see much real trolling at all. The communities that are forming have been remarkably interesting and kind.

3) The penny arcade example is also not entirely applicable here. Again, because it's within your circle of friends. The equation is different.

You're probably noticing a recurring theme: We believe that by scoping anonymous sharing to your friends, the content will be much more positive and helpful. So far, this has remained true, and we're inspired to see the good come out in people when they're given the privilege of anonymity.

Most high-security sites do this (including banks, and even Facebook) to let you know when there's unusual activity. In order to recognize the anomalies, you need data. The meta point in our privacy policy is to be transparent about what data we retain and why.

We appreciate the probing questions, as we want to be as clear as possible about what, why, and how we're building Secret.

We think it's important to notify users when someone from a different device tries to log into your account. We will, to the best of our ability, make secrets untraceable. I can promise you that.

Is this still happening to you?

Hi, I'm one of the founders. The key differentiator is that you're sharing with the people you know. Secret allows you to have interesting conversations, anonymously, with your friends. On Whisper, you're doing this with strangers. They both have their own benefits.

We annotate each post with "Friend" when it comes from someone in your contacts. We will NEVER misrepresent that.

Hi, I'm one of the founders. You said it exactly right – this is a place to share openly and honestly with your friends about day to day things and sentiments, and not for crime or other illegal activity.

That being said, we also have implemented a number of measures to prevent triangulation. For example, your friends' secrets will remain hidden until you have enough friends on the network. You can't just sign up with one contact, that won't work.