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by | Dec 19, 2023 | Snapdragon, Spider Flower

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Cohost (stylized in all lowercase letters as cohost or cohost!) is a social media website publicly launched in June 2022[1] that is currently in beta. It is owned by a not-for-profit software company named Anti Software Software Club that consists of four developers.[2] It has no advertisements or algorithm, instead displaying posts in a chronological order.[3] The website was previously invite only but now has open registration with a waiting period before users can post.[4]

History

The idea for Cohost was conceptualized in 2019, and the mascot for the website was created in 2020. It was launched in a closed beta in February 2022. Early access registration via invite code was allowed in June of that year.[5] Anyone was allowed to register around November, but new users must sit through a waiting period before their account is activated.[4][6]

Cohost was reported as having financial issues in March 2024 after temporarily losing contact with the person funding it, but the site is stated to have backup plans.[7][8]

Features

Cohost features posts similar in style to Twitter but without a character limit.[3] Users can like, comment, and repost but interactions are hidden, including like counts on posts and the followers of users.[1] There is no trending timeline or algorithm-based timeline, instead featuring a chronological timeline and a tagging system where searchable hashtags can be attached to posts.[6] The website supports Markdown and editing of HTML and CSS within posts.[9] There is also a monthly subscription service called Cohost Plus which offers an increased file size limit and other features, but mainly serves as a way to support the development of the website.[10] There are plans to implement a tip jar feature and a subscription feature similar to Patreon, where users can subscribe to creators and other users on the site for access to exclusive posts.[4]

Users

The active userbase was around 20,000 in February 2023[9] to 38,000 in July in 2023.[3] The February 2023 report gave the number of registered users at 130,000. A report by the staff on November 2023 gave the number of registered users as 203,805 and the number of monthly active users as 21,142.[11]

Reception

Cohost has generally received positive reception. The site has been praised for allowing users to edit HTML and CSS in posts, where users can make games and so-called "CSS crimes."[5] It has also been given praise for allowing users to edit posts after they are posted, a lack of ads, and navigable web design.[10] Criticism has been given for the lack of a proper search feature[6] and for the lack of a mobile app. Cohost Plus has also been criticized for not offering many unique features.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Korn, Jennifer (2023-07-09). "Tired of Elon Musk? Here are the Twitter alternatives you should know about | CNN Business". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  2. ^ "anti software software club". anti software software club. Archived from the original on 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  3. ^ a b c O'Sullivan, Isobel (2023-07-05). "Best Twitter Alternatives from Threads to BlueSky". Tech.co. Archived from the original on 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  4. ^ a b c Lyles, Taylor (2022-11-18). "The Best Twitter Alternatives to Try as the Bird App Tumbles". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-01-07. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  5. ^ a b Ong, Alexis (2022-08-03). "These "CSS crimes" turn social media posts into games". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  6. ^ a b c Darlingberg, Dee (2022-11-21). "What is Cohost? The Social Media Platform Is A Twitter Alternative". thevibely. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  7. ^ "end-of-week financial update update". Cohost. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  8. ^ Robertson, Adi (2024-03-12). "Bad news for Cohost". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  9. ^ a b Tangalakis-Lippert, Katherine (2023-02-28). "Fledgling social media sites are competing to be the next Twitter as users abandon the legacy platform. These are the frontrunners". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  10. ^ a b c Minor, Jordan (2022-11-17). "Cohost Preview". PCMAG. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  11. ^ Kaplan, Jae (2023-11-20). "November 2023 Financial Update + Tipping launch plans". Cohost. Archived from the original on 2023-11-26. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
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