A new app has hit the market. It’s a traditional social media network app with a hint of exclusivity. Why should you download it? David Jumper, the head of the Speakiesy app, said it’s your connection to campus.
Ariel Halle, a UF industrial and systems engineering senior, has been involved in the movement of Speakiesy. The 22-year-old said the app is a personal UF network that connects people to campus.
"I’ve seen people use it to post pictures from game day to advertisements for their clubs," he said. "We had this one kid who was making beef jerky and he was trying to sell it on campus. So different things like that."
According to Jumper, 29, all posts disappear after 90 days, which means parents and potential employers won’t get a chance to see the activity after three months. The new app officially launched on Sept. 5.
When creating an account, a full name, username and ".edu" email address are needed. This ensures that each user is a student and there are no "fake" profiles or outside users. From there, text, pictures and videos can be posted. Users can also bookmark their own hashtags to save and follow. Speakiesy is exclusive to the "@ufl.edu" email.
"It’s relatable," Jumper said. "No matter if you’re the frattiest of bros or you’re an international student and you’ve come to find your way. You can relate as a Gator to what is on Speakiesy."
He respectfully declined to answer the number of users currently on Speakiesy.
One of the issues he said he wanted to avoid was the clutter found on Yik Yak and the negativity that can come with anonymity. When people are just cruel, he said, they aren’t held accountable. Speakiesy fixes that and gives the campus an exclusive network.
Speakiesy has reached more than 100 total campuses.
Sameer Saboungi, a UF international studies and political science senior, thinks there are already way too many apps.
"There’s Facebook, Yik Yak, Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, everything," he said.
Saboungi uses what he considers the three main apps: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — in that order. When companies bring out a new app, he said, it’s difficult for people to make the transition to the new app.
For Saboungi, there’s already a set status quo in social media. He believes people wouldn’t be motivated to switch unless the appeal to switch was strong.
The layout of the app is similar to other social media networks, but Jumper knows that.
"We’re not saying ‘stop using Instagram, use Speakiesy,’" he said. "We’re saying ‘use Speakiesy because it is your outlet to campus.’"
