Social Media Portal interview with Doug Freitag at Friendio

Profiled - Doug Freitag, President, member of the Board and network administrator at Friendio

Social Media Portal (SMP): What is your role at Friendio?

Doug Freitag (DF): I'm the President, member of the Board and network administrator.

SMP: Briefly, tell us about Friendio, what is it and what does it do?

DF: Friendio is a social network for the rest of us, a different kind of alternative.  It?s based on a new way for people to share their history with others they care about but offers a multitude of features beyond that.  The network began as a way to share within our own family, and expanded from there.

SMP: What made you (and/or the founders) start Friendio and when did it launch?

DF: We started this whole thing over constant changes we didn?t like at a popular social networking site many of us used.  In the beginning we wanted something for us, our family and friends, but shortly after this whole concept came together a lot of people showed interest and wanted access, so we decided to open it up for anyone to use.

SMP: How is it funded and how do you attract new investors?

DF: Friendio is a private company with private capital.  To date we have not offered stock to new investors.   We prefer to remain as we are, with hopes that revenue streams such as advertising will help carry us along.  We have already been contacted by several interested parties looking to get involved but investors are something we want to leave as an absolute last resort.

SMP: What was the most challenging part of building the service?

DF: With so much available on the Internet today the challenge really isn?t building the service since so much is already out there, makes no sense to re-invent the wheel.  The challenging part is adding new features to match up with what people want available to them, and making those features cooperate with all the existing features.

SMP: Who are your target audience and why?

DF: Our target audience would fall into three categories:

1. People looking for a free alternative social network that brings back classic features many other social sites have abandoned (we missed stuff like custom layouts and profile music, for example).
2. People who want an easy to use interface that doesn?t require a lot of digging to learn how to use it. (as the saying goes, keep it simple)
3. People who are looking for a social environment that will place information in their control, not change things and let them find out later from the media.

SMP: How did you initially attract users to the Friendio service, and how do you do it now?

DF: In the beginning it was family & friends, and viral marketing took over from there.  We did have a news release during development and after our official launch, but most people have learned from others through word of mouth.  Today users are still attracted to our service through the same methods, word of mouth and media coverage.

SMP: What are the low moments of what you have been doing so far?

DF: Our lowest moment was just recently when we were suddenly overwhelmed with traffic, it took us by surprise. Our server was so overwhelmed with traffic it almost took down our whole network.   We had to quickly make decisions and expand the network to additional servers in order to handle the continual load.

SMP: What are the high moments of what you have been doing so far?

DF: Feedback! Sure we have some haters, but the good feedback far outweighs the bad.  So many people have let us know how much they love Friendio, which drives us to continue making it better and better.  We still have some issues to iron out party items, but they?re minor.

SMP: Moving forward, what do you see as your biggest challenges and opportunities?

DF: Our biggest challenge is keeping up with growth.  There?s no chart on our wall that tells us how many resources we are going to need tomorrow as traffic is very unpredictable at this time, where heavy surges come and go day & night.  In addition, we need to have the site in more than just English, we?ll need translators to go that far and we know that?s a major task in itself.

With our newly expanded network we have new opportunities, the ability to expand as needed, which will help us reach more people and the development of a business plan to outline our future.

SMP: Privacy is a big deal, why has it taken social networks and similar technologies to really provide what consumers want?

DF: That?s a good question, and I?ve never been able to figure that one out myself.  I guess its corporate greed, money and profits.  Selling information about people is big business but in my eyes, well, in all our eyes, it?s unethical, it?s wrong.  There are other ways to bring in revenue.  Privacy should be left alone; it?s the right of the people to have their privacy, not the decision of social networks.

SMP: What are you doing that is different in the privacy area (and in your opinion which social network/s was first to identity and then implement this need)?

DF: We lock profiles automatically to the outside world, and within our community.  When a person joins Friendio their profile is not visible to anybody at all.  It doesn?t matter if another person trying to see the profile is a member of Friendio or an outside site visitor, all they can see is a name and picture, nothing else.  That new member can post comments on their wall, but nobody will see them until they add some people as only contacts of a user can view their contributions.  

Here?s an example of a profile automatically locked when the user registered.  This user has left that locked setting in place, so all you can see is minimal information, a name and photo if they uploaded one http://www.friend.io/Jones.

If this user participates in other parts of the site, such as commenting on a Page outside their own profile, it?s visible to others, but anything that happens inside that profile stays locked down, viewable by contacts only and that will never change unless this user changes their setting themselves.  We?ve gone a step further by making profiles of minors (under 18) not only restricted, but always locked to friends only, regardless of what the minor child sets their settings to in an effort to try and keep kids a little safer from the outside world.

As for who was the first social network to see the need to implement privacy settings, I would have to guess on that one and say PlanetAll, which is the first social network I know of, which launched in November of 1996.   Two years after they launched Amazon® took over the site, but closed it down in.  Interesting thing, Amazon still owns PlanetAll.com, but why?  They must have plans for the future, why else hold onto it?

SMP: Who do you think is tackling privacy better and why (Facebook, Google+ or Twitter)?

DF: I like Facebook, but I don?t like how they choose to operate today.  They?ve become something outside of Mark Zuckerburg?s original goals of making the world more connected, in my own personal opinion.  I think they have to satisfy investors, so changes become imminent. Twitter is more about publicity, not privacy.  It?s about getting the word out and updating others on what?s going on, I really don?t see much privacy inside of Twitter, but I love the service and the ability to follow others for updates. 

As for Google+, well I love Google too, but I?m unsure of their privacy today, as they?ve recently made a major change in how their privacy policy works since they have so many services connected to Google accounts.  I commend Google for the way they make these changes known though, we?ve probably all seen the privacy notice popping up on Google over and over every day, until you read it.  I still haven?t had the time.

SMP: Facebook and Google (Google+) have been making some significant changes e.g. Circles, Hangouts, mobile Hangouts, Timeline. What impact is that having (or will have) at Friendio?

DF: I?ve read a lot of negative press on Google+; it was big hype but quickly dropped, from what I?ve read.  I can?t personally say too much about it because I?ve only used it a few times, but I didn?t really like how it worked.  I think the issue comes in because of MySpace and Facebook, where so many of us are used to how things were set up and expect more when we go somewhere else, but when we don?t get more, or better, we abandon. 

Hangouts?what is that, a new word for Groups?  That?s what they are to me, a place that starts with a group of people and expands as others come in.  Well, we have that too.  Circles, another new word, but think about it, what is it?  It?s your own private friends list, your ?circle of friends?, not really something new, but it sounds fun, doesn?t it?

Impact on us - We have already seen an increase in users who want to abandon the whole Timeline concept.  As for Circles and Hangouts, I don?t think that?s much of an impact on anything as they are really nothing new as far as I can tell, just renamed.

SMP: What are the next moves for Friendio (any big news we should know about)?

DF: Our next moves include a new, more advanced Android application to replace our current app, and the introduction of an app for the iPhone which is badly needed since we don?t currently have one.  Mobile really complicates things, it used to be so simple, make a site and you?re done.  Now everybody wants an app, so we?re making them.  Outside of mobile apps, we?re always collaborating about features, what else should be there, what else we can add to make our network even more useful.

SMP: What?s the next big step for social media and networks?

DF: That?s not an easy question to answer, look at coupon deal sites early last year, the next big thing, right?  Seems many thought so, but suddenly they?re not much of a big thing, popular but not so exciting.  To claim ownership of the next big step for social media and networks you have to keep your lips sealed, so I think I better stop here before I reveal something I should not.
 
SMP: What are your initial views on Facebook?s Timeline and the other new announcements?

DF: When I saw Timeline for the first time the first thing that came to my mind was, why are they doing this?   As I continued, scrolling down, I started thinking ?Oh my God, this is like my Grandma?s scrap book in digital format.?  What is the great idea behind this?  That?s why I call it the newest scrap booking site, that?s what it?s turning into.  I just don?t get it.  Even worse, why force people to use the new digital scrap book?  People should have a choice on what their profile looks like if there are two or more versions in existence. 

We have about 12 choices now, along with the ability to customize CSS even further, a form of expressing one?s self.  I just don?t understand the idea behind the Timeline.  Some people like it, but I truly believe the majority of users are not very happy with it.  Talk about confusion!  We wanted something better, something that hands the control over to the user.  Some feel Facebook is better, and that?s ok, they can use Facebook, we all have that choice.  Actually people can use both if they wanted to, I still have a Facebook account, but I spend 95% of my time on Friendio.  I even have a Twitter.

Facebook?s latest announcement, the photo viewer, is a plus.  I think it?s a nice looking viewer with comments on the right instead of the bottom, I just don?t like how larger pictures are now smaller because of the right side column,  but I guess that?s not real important to me anyway, I don?t really use the site anymore.

SMP: What?s going to be the most interesting aspect regarding social media technology 2012?

DF: Facebook?s IPO.  The guessing game of how much is it worth will soon be revealed to all.  Is it $75 billion, or $100 billion?  Will they open at $35 a share, or $45?    Everybody seems to be asking these questions.

SMP: There have been many global changes to copyright, privacy (ACPA, SOPA et al) from technology companies like the aforementioned, why do you think this is happening so intensely now?

DF: Because it?s long overdue.  Things have really gotten out of hand.  Identity theft is on the rise, privacy is more important than ever.  In addition, Copyrights used to matter; now it seems many don?t care anymore, but we all should. Pirated software, the knock-off products, or the stolen music downloads help destroy economic growth and increase unemployment.  The Internet has made it too easy to acquire these things.

SMP: Best way to contact you?

DF: Through Friendio of course, that?s where I?m at every day.  Join us, and then visit this link to add me to your list of friends:  http://www.friend.io/staff
Or, if you don?t want to be part of Friendio, follow us on Twitter @friendioconnect, we?re on there now, and we have a Facebook page, type Friendio in the search box and look for ?Friendio Community?, give us a Like for any updates we may post there.




SMP: What did you have for breakfast / lunch?

DF: I don?t usually eat breakfast, often skip lunch, but today I actually did eat lunch.  There?s a place nearby in our area called Portillo?s, and if you?re ever out this way make sure you don?t drive past it, some of the best food you?ll ever have.  Definitely a Chicago style place (we?re only 20 minutes outside of Chicago and we all love Chicago food).  Today I ate, and usually get, their Italian Beef sandwich, it?s so good.

SMP: What?s the last good thing that you did for someone?

DF: Recently I was driving to our office in pouring rain and came upon a mentally disabled man walking with grocery bags, no rain coat or umbrella.  I had an umbrella, so I pulled over and handed it to him.  He looked at me and said ?Really?  I can have this?? and I replied ?Well, you sure need it more than I do?, and away he went.

SMP: How many hours do you work a week?

DF: It seems like 24 hours a day. I?m often sitting on my Acer Tablet (love this thing) ?til 3 or 4 a.m. but luckily I have a very supportive wife who gives me design tips now and then to help move things along.  Not just us though, you?ll find family and friends doing the same.  I guess the time doesn?t matter so much to us; we love what we?re doing.

SMP: If you weren?t running Friendio what would you be doing?

DF: My first choice would be more time with family.  I?m fortunate to be able to do the majority of my work from home, but that?s not really quality time, this has become a very consuming task. A while back I wasn?t running Friendio, but I was thinking about it.

SMP: When and where did you go on your last holiday?

DF: In October 2011 we all went to a place called the Kalahari Resort in the State of Ohio, USA.  It?s the largest indoor water park in the United States and a lot of fun for all ages.

SMP: What?s the first thing you do when you get into the office of a morning?

DF: My usual first task of the day is to check email.

SMP: If you had a superpower what would it be and why?

DF: The power of healing.  It would be a great thing if one could heal the sick, especially those who are suffering.

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