MOSCOW, October 24 (RIA Novosti) - Facebook has introduced a new iOS app called ‘Rooms’ which allows users chat within discussion boards on topics of common interest without disclosing their real names in order to help freedom of self-expression.
The developers claim that the concept of ‘Rooms’ was inspired by the ethics of early Internet communities and message boards, which they have enhanced with capabilities of modern-day technologies. “One of the things our team loves most about the internet is its potential to let us be whoever we want to be”, Josh Miller of Facebook product management division said in the official introduction.
An online discussion panel, or ‘room’, is comprised of pictures and texts on a certain topic that is selected by the host user. Other users can be invited to join the room and everybody may post anonymously. The entire user interface, including icons, color themes and background or cover photographs can be modified in accordance with the person’s taste.
The main goal of the new app is to let people communicate freely and openly where ever in the world they are. “It doesn’t matter where you live, what you look like or how old you are – all of us are the same size and shape online”, Mr. Miller said. Also, the new app is designed to take interpersonal communications outside the people’s usual social environment, which provides the users an opportunity to be introduced to new ideas and viewpoints they would normally be isolated from.
In order to sign up, the new user must provide an email address. The app, for anonymity reasons, will not connect with Facebook and it operates as a standalone service instead. "We may share information about you within the companies and services operated by Facebook… but the information you share on Rooms will never be posted to your Facebook account and the information you share on Facebook will never be posted to your Rooms account”, reads the Rooms’ privacy statement.
However, the Rooms’ anonymity is somewhat limited. Shared information is still public as usernames (though different for each room even in the same person), comments, media content (including photographs and videos) are visible to “anyone online or offline, including people off of Rooms”. User’s status as a member of the message board may be visible to other room users, but this depends on the moderator’s settings for the individual message board.
Rooms is an ad-free app, and the development team stated it has been receiving over 40,000 requests an hour from people wanting to join up.
