Cohost
 | |
Screenshot  The profile page of eggbug, the site's mascot, in dark mode | |
Type of site | Social media |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| Dissolved | 9 September 2024 (end of registrations), 1 October 2024 (read only mode), End of 2024 (total shutdown of website, planned) |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Key people | Colin Bayer, Jae Kaplan, Aidan Grealish, Kara |
| Employees | 4 |
| URL | https://www.cohost.org/ |
| Registration | Closed |
| Users | 203,805 (November 2023) |
| Current status | Online (read-only) |
Cohost (stylized in all lowercase letters as cohost or cohost!) is a social media website publicly launched in June 2022.[1] It is owned by a not-for-profit software company named Anti Software Software Club.[2]
On 9 September 2024, it was announced that it will enter a read-only state on 1 October 2024 and be discontinued at the end of 2024.[3] Registration was closed the day of the announcement.
History
[edit]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.[4][5] Anyone was allowed to register around November, but new users must sit through a waiting period before their account is activated.[6][7]
Cohost was reported as having financial issues in March 2024 after temporarily losing contact with the person funding it, but the site was stated to have backup plans and they were able to reestablish contact with their funder.[8][9]
In September 2024, it was announced that Cohost would be shutting down at the end of 2024, with the site entering a read-only state on 1 October 2024. The reason given was lack of funding and developer burnout.[3][10]
Features
[edit]Cohost features posts similar in style to Twitter but without a character limit.[11] 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.[7] The website supports Markdown and editing of HTML and CSS within posts.[12] There is also a monthly subscription service called Cohost Plus (stylized as 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.[13] There were 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,[6] but the feature (named eggbux) was canceled due to the payment processor Stripe changing their terms and conditions.[3]
Users
[edit]The active userbase was around 20,000 in February 2023[12] to 38,000 in July in 2023.[11] The February 2023 report gave the number of registered users at 130,000. A report by the staff in November 2023 gave the number of registered users as 203,805 and the number of monthly active users as 21,142.[14] The August 2024 report gave the total register user count as 227,000[15] with the monthly active user count as 16,846 and 3,046 of those being Cohost Plus subscribers.[3]
Reception
[edit]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."[4] It has also been given praise for allowing users to edit posts after they are posted, a lack of ads, and navigable web design.[13] Some reviewers have noted the lack of a proper search feature and the lack of a dedicated mobile app.[7][13]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ "anti software software club". anti software software club. Archived from the original on 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ a b c d "cohost to shut down at end of 2024". cohost dot org on cohost. 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "credits". cohost. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "end-of-week financial update update". Cohost. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
- ^ Robertson, Adi (2024-03-12). "Bad news for Cohost". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ Perez, Sarah (2024-09-12). "Cohost, the X rival founded with an anti-Big Tech manifesto, is running out of money and will shut down". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Minor, Jordan (2022-11-17). "Cohost Preview". PCMAG. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "the final age of posting". cohost dot org on cohost. 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-10-11.