Cohost
 | |
Screenshot  The profile page of eggbug, the site's mascot, in dark mode | |
Type of site | Social media |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| Dissolved | 13 September 2024 (end of registrations), 1 October 2024 (read only mode, planned), 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 |
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 September 13th 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] Anyone was allowed to register around November, but new users must sit through a waiting period before their account is activated.[5][6]
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.[7][8]
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.[3]
Features
[edit]Cohost features posts similar in style to Twitter but without a character limit.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[5]
Users
[edit]The active userbase was around 20,000 in February 2023[10] to 38,000 in July in 2023.[9] 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.[12]
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.[11] 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.[11]
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 "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.