CEBU, Philippines - Given the number of online platforms vying to be the next social media kingpin, there are actually a lot of Facebook alternatives online.
However, just because these sites are labeled as Facebook alternatives doesn't mean that they don't offer anything new for contemporary social-mediaholics - as the following would attest.
Tumblr
Tumblr is basically a mix between a micro-blogging platform and social media site - capable of handling different types of digital media shared by its members.
As a micro-blogging platform, Tumblr members can share pictures and short video clips while maintaining a degree of control over their blogs - with support for HTML coding or editing, support for blog layout templates, provisions for scheduled or queued posting activities, and more.
Owners of Tumblr blogs can also follow updates and posts from other blogs within the network using a mobile application. This application is essentially the base of Tumblr's real-time social media dynamic.
Launched in 2007, the online entity was acquired by Yahoo! in June last year, and as of January 1, 2015, it hosts more than 216 million blogs.
Path
Characterized by netizens as the "polar opposite" of Facebook, Path is a social media platform that encourages its members to only share relevant and quality content by limiting member-to-member connections to only 150 contacts.
In a time when the word "social media" has somewhat become synonymous with "saturated avenue for advertising," Path's provision for only 150 connections compels its users to budget the number of people they "friend" - compelling them to only keep in touch with individuals, brands and other entities that really matter to them.
Launched in 2010, the platform features photo sharing and messaging functions that are accessible through its mobile application for handheld devices.
Tsu
Like Path, Tsu is a social media platform that's set on compelling its members to share only quality content.
How the social network accomplishes this is different from Path though, since the site shares its advertising revenue with its members - a take on "quality content control," if you will.
Generally speaking - the more popular a Tsu member is, the bigger he or she gets from ad revenue shares; where revenue shares are based on organic post-views and active engagements with fellow Tsu members.
Created by Evacuation Complete, LLC (founded in 2008), Tsu is basically about sharing monetary benefits from ad revenue with its "content creators," its members, as they interact and keep in touch with their cliques online. (FREEMAN)