"state" has been released.
*This article is a translated version of the introduction article written when the state was released to Japanese users last year. Currently, state is also working on providing services to English speakers. You can request an invitation code from the link below.
As I've just launched a new social network service, I'll write about its release.
I have various thoughts on current social media and insights into how I developed this service. However, these are not directly relevant to using the service, so I'll include them towards the end. First, let me explain what this service is all about.
The functionality of this service
I've created a service called "state". The word "state" has various meanings, but in this service, it refers to "status" or "condition." So, it's a service named after the concept of "state."
This service is specifically designed for easily posting about "What am I doing right now?" (i.e., your current state).
You might wonder how it's different from Twitter (X), but it's quite distinct.
Can only see the latest posts.
The most unique feature of "state" is that only the latest post of each user is visible. For example, if I post "Arrived at the office!", it appears on the timeline. Then, if I post "Had soba for lunch", the timeline will only show "Had soba for lunch", and the previous "Arrived at the office!" post becomes permanently inaccessible.
In other words, while typical social networks like Twitter allow "multiple posts per user", state operates on a "one post per user" basis.
Another way to describe it could be like a version of Twitter where each new post overwrites the previous one.
You can follow. but the number of followers is not displayed.
Users can follow others on "state". When you follow someone, their latest post (or "state") will appear on your timeline.
However, the number of followers is not displayed. You won't know how many people follow you, nor will this information be visible to others.
Currently, you can view recent posts from people you don't follow under the "latest" tab. This feature allows you to find new people to follow or to search for friends' accounts by ID. As the user base grows, I plan to enhance the profile features, enabling users to search for people to follow through their profiles.
You can Like. Retweets cannot.
Each post in "state" functions as a button. When you tap on a post, it's equivalent to 'liking' that person's post. When a post is liked, a 'fizzy' animation appears in the background, which I'll explain in more detail later.
However, retweeting or sharing others' posts is not possible. As I'll discuss later in my thoughts on the concept, the platform is designed to prevent the spread of others' posts, which also helps avoid issues like viral controversies or flame wars.
Pictures can be posted. But horizontal.
You can post photos on "state". However, they will always be cropped into a landscape format. This is a deliberate design choice, and I'll explain the reasoning behind it in the latter part of my discussion.
We know we are seen, we know we are Liked. However, we only know softly.
The timeline's background features gently floating small bubbles and larger, fizzier bubbles. The small bubbles signify that "someone recently viewed your post!" The more views, the more bubbles you'll see. Each bubble's color represents the theme color of the viewer (which can be chosen when creating an account). The larger bubbles indicate "someone recently liked your post!" The rules for the number and color of these bubbles are the same.
"State" is currently available for both iPhone and Android users. However, at this stage, it is invitation-only, meaning you need an invite code from an existing user to start using it. Many testers participated in our public beta test, and all current testers have been given invite codes, which will help gradually expand our user base.
That said, if you have a personal connection with me, I would be delighted to provide you with an invite code for testing purposes. Feel free to contact me via direct message to receive one.
Android version
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.bassdrum.state
iPhone version
https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/state/id6448899887
Concept of this service
Now, I'll discuss the philosophy and direction behind the creation of "state."
Simply put, "state" is:
A non-inflammatory, pastoral social network.
A social network with no hierarchy.
A social network where you can't create a space for public discourse.
These three points are interrelated: the absence of hierarchy reduces the risk of controversies and creates a more serene platform.
By "no hierarchy," I mean there is no superiority or inferiority among users.
Existing social networks, including Twitter, inherently create a hierarchy among users.
Take follower count, for example. The term "influencer" has been around for a while, and their "influence" is often measured by the number of followers they have, similar to subscriber counts on YouTube.
There's an inherent quantification of superiority. An influencer with 200,000 followers is seen as having twice the "influence" or "combat power" as one with 100,000 followers. It makes the comparison of "I have more or less influence than that person" explicit.
Likes and retweets are also metrics that quantify visibility. It continuously shows if your post is more celebrated than someone else's in numeric terms.
While not quantified, even the competition for the most visually appealing photos contributes to this hierarchy. Photos become a non-numeric way of asserting superiority, like "that person eats better food than I do" or "that person is friends with celebrities I've never met."
Since social networks began to mature, there has been an increasing pursuit of influence. People have started to optimize their communications and actions for social media to gain superior influence. Actions like traveling somewhere just to take 'Instagrammable' photos are a relatively new behavior.
Existing social media platforms have created mechanisms to bring users back by fostering competition and creating an addictive environment through this hierarchy.
Such a system of user hierarchy and the weighted importance of posts' influence can have side effects. One example is 'going viral' or 'flame wars'. Traditional social networks have a 'superlinear' amplification mechanism – a fancy way of saying 'the voices of influential people become even louder'.
The term "flame war" is quite apt, as flames spread rapidly. Whether for good or bad, things that become a topic of conversation tend to further escalate, a system shaped by existing social media.
Indeed, platforms like Facebook have been internally whistleblown for promoting algorithms that stir up this competitive principle.
I'll elaborate later on the frustrations I, as the creator of "state", had with existing social networks. Generally, social networks are increasingly perceived as 'exhausting' or 'draining.' With the drastic changes in Twitter (X), various alternatives are being proposed.
"State" is one of these alternatives to existing social networks, specifically focusing on the complete elimination of hierarchy.
As I explained in the "Features" section, all quantifiable elements like follower count, likes, and retweets are deliberately excluded. However, to avoid creating an isolated network where no one feels seen, we've made it subtly evident that your posts are being viewed, without quantifying this engagement.
The reason for the landscape orientation of photos in "state" is a result of our research on ratios that are clear yet challenging to make visually appealing. We settled on a 3:1 ratio. Typically, service thumbnails can be expanded, but expanding them reveals finer details, so we intentionally restricted this feature.
Another element we've eliminated in "state" is the creation of a 'public discourse space.' The character limit for posts on "state" is 100, even fewer than Twitter's 140. Additionally, you can't create a continuous thread of messages like you might with consecutive tweets on other platforms. Once a new post is made, the old one disappears.
This restriction means that what can be shared on "state" is limited to whatever can be expressed within 100 characters about your current state or thoughts, thus preventing the development of extended discussions or debates.
Traditional social networks often create a 'total commentator' situation where, for instance, if a celebrity has an affair, it seems everyone must express an opinion about it. However, such opinions are often not sought after and can be sources of conflict.
"State" is designed to eliminate risks that have become structurally and business-wise unavoidable in traditional social networks. The goal is to offer a psychologically safe, leisurely space where users can casually share their current state or thoughts. This approach defines "state" as a 'hierarchy-free, pastoral social network.'
Personal speculation and my own convenience in creating this.
The reason I created "state" stems from my initially critical stance towards social networks like Twitter and Facebook when they first emerged.
As mentioned earlier, the 'superlinear' system, where the voices of influential people are more easily heard, is structurally similar to the mass media that existed before the internet. When only television and newspapers dominated, they had concentrated influence. Consequently, the information they disseminated was tailored towards the majority or the lowest common denominator, prioritizing universally appealing content.
Those with quieter voices, minorities, or people considered different were literally in the shadows. The advent of the internet drastically changed this, providing a platform where "anyone could express and communicate to the world." This democratization of expression and communication was a revolutionary change for those who had never had a means to make their voices heard, a change I've personally experienced.
However, in the world of social networks where 'people with many followers are esteemed', influencers who broadcast universally appealing information reach more people, reverting to the aforementioned 'superlinear' state. It seems like a revival of mass media, a byproduct of humanity's struggle to adeptly utilize the sudden advent of the internet. That's what I believe social networks have essentially become.
Therefore, while I viewed the emergence and proliferation of the internet as an 'evolution' from the media-dominated 1990s, the subsequent advent and spread of social media appeared to me as a 'regression' or even a headlong dive into a 'dystopia'.
In response, in 2016, while at my previous job at PARTY, I released a service called 'mnmm (minimum)'. This was already a step towards the concept of a 'simple social network service without hierarchy'.
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000012.000016039.html (Japanese article)
"mnmm" was a very promising project, but it fell just short of becoming a user experience that people would want to use regularly, leading to its discontinuation.
"state" is a service that aims to achieve what "mnmm" set out to do, but from a different angle. While there are considerable differences, it can also be considered an evolved version of "mnmm."
There were various personal and environmental factors behind my decision to develop "state."
One factor is related to my current affiliation with BASSDRUM, especially during its start-up phase. In recent years, my role has increasingly involved client-facing and consultant-like 'talking jobs'. This led to occasional criticism like, "You talk about being a creator first, but you're not making anything yourself."
However, my primary job as a director of technology implementation requires maintaining my own ability to create. Otherwise, there's a tendency to become an out-of-touch middleman, losing value by just talking to clients every day.
Therefore, it was necessary for me to "actually create something" myself.
The second factor involves reflections on "mnmm."
In "mnmm," I was a director, and the project had a strong corporate identity as an in-house venture. This meant that even if I had ideas for improvements or additional features, they couldn't progress unless I could convince the company and engineers to understand (and allocate resources). This was a significant limitation.
As mentioned earlier, the need to "actually create something" myself led me to handle the concept, design, front-end and back-end implementation (so far) all on my own. This approach allows me to maintain full control over the project, which I've pursued as a 'solo project.'
The third factor is the chaos surrounding Twitter due to Elon Musk's acquisition, along with a general shift in attitudes towards social networks. Even before Musk's takeover, Twitter's timeline display algorithm was becoming increasingly skewed. Facebook, amidst internal whistleblowing and issues related to personal data handling, is losing its appeal, especially among younger users and friends in the West who are actively leaving the platform. Social networks, in general, seem to be at a crossroads.
I saw this as an opportune moment not just to criticize but to propose an alternative.
The fourth factor is my personal belief that this service won't become a sensation. While releasing "state" might demonstrate BASSDRUM's capabilities and contribute to my personal skill development, there's no motivation like 'striking it rich with a new service' or 'raising funds from venture capitalists to go public.' It's purely about 'wanting to create this particular thing.'
Structurally, the service isn't designed to trigger dopamine release; it's more oriented towards fostering oxytocin. While creating a stimulating, revisit-invoking service is easier, that would deviate from the original purpose, so I haven't done so. Therefore, I don't expect "state" to become widely popular.
However, I realized during development that this very aspect is the point.
While navigating the complexities of the media landscape centered around social networks, I realized there might not be many people who can simultaneously critique existing social networks and freely implement and release their own alternatives.
There are people who can critique the media, develop new service concepts, implement front-end, and design back-end and UX.
But, I came to think that perhaps I might be one of the few who can whimsically do it all on my own.
This led me to the realization that 'developing and releasing a new service as a critique of existing social networks, even though it might not become popular,' could surprisingly become a part of my artistic identity.
Until now, my work has been centered around client projects, and I haven't often created 'works' based on my own preferences or ideologies. So, I've never really considered myself an 'artist' or a 'creator'.
However, the approach I tried with "state" felt very much like an artistic one.
I view 'art' as an activity that proposes alternative ways of thinking and doing. In that sense, the creation and development of "state" have been a crucial turning point for me, a moment of self-realization as a creator that will significantly impact my future work.
"State," while being a new, hierarchy-free, pastoral social network service, might also qualify as an 'artistic work'.
state's future
Regarding "state," although I have plans for future updates, my initial focus is on gradually increasing the number of participants within the invitation-only framework. I plan to refine the service based on user feedback.
I intend to allocate at least 30 minutes daily to this project, hoping to make gradual improvements.
The extent of user engagement and excitement will influence future decisions. Depending on these factors, I might consider investing personal funds to refine the design, or even experiment with advertising. However, as mentioned earlier, since this project largely represents my personal work and vision, I'm hesitant to change its direction by bringing in external funding.
That said, I can't manage the operation alone indefinitely. Depending on user engagement, I might seek assistance with management aspects in the future.
Feedback to the core business
Developing "state," I, Qanta, am part of a collective of technical directors at BASSDRUM. While engaged in business activities, I've realized that my involvement in designing and developing services like this isn't widely recognized (perhaps due to a stronger association with exhibitions or XR projects).
In this context, I see the release of small services like "state" as an opportunity to showcase these capabilities. Therefore, I've taken the liberty of releasing it under the company's account, relying on their support.
So far, the users testing "state" seem to be gradually continuing to use it, indicating that it might be a service that people who like it, really like. I hope others will also find it appealing.