Remember when Facebook suddenly took a 180 degree spin on their feelings about anonymity and announced a secret project that would allow users to chat inside of Facebook without using their real names? Well, they would like to introduce you to Rooms.
Old Meets New
The new Rooms app feels almost like something out of the early 2000s, returning to the good ol’ days of anonymous chatrooms where people could be anyone they wanted and freely converse with strangers from around the globe. The company even notes it felt “inspired by both the ethos of these early web communities” and sought to merge old with new by taking advantage of the popularity of smartphones.
Facebook
Multiple Personalities
Sometimes you feel like you’re really five different personalities wrapped up in one. The social media giant is finally recognizing that point and opening up the platform to embrace your inner selves.
“In Rooms you can be Wonder Woman – or whatever name makes you feel most comfortable and proud,” Facebook wrote in a blog post. “You can even create different identities for different contexts.”
So, if you’re a self-proclaimed fashionista, but secretly a huge tech nerd, those two side never have to meet. You can assert your authority on both subjects without the fear of pre-judgement based on your varied interests.
Facebook
Visual Chatrooms
Users will be able to share not only text, but photos and videos too in the chatrooms. If you’re a ’90s kid, you probably remember having to exchange email addresses to deliver “pics” or only having the option in one-on-one private chats. But, instead of a free-for-all deluge of random anons trying to hook up, the Rooms are dedicated to topics like sneakers, parkour and food.
Facebook
The Power Is Yours, If You Have An iPhone
Facebook is giving every Room creator the power to moderate, dictate and customize the space to be all your own.
“You can change the text and emoji on your like button, add a cover photo and dominant colors, create custom “pinned” messages, customize member permissions, and even set whether or not people can link to your content on the web,” Facebook wrote. “In the future, we’ll continue to add more customizable features and ways to tweak your room.”
Unfortunately for some, Rooms is currently only available on iOS. Plans to roll out an app for Android or other platforms have not been disclosed.
No Comments