Digithoughts

In the form versus function debate, the social network app Path has them both. The first thing that catches your eye about this recently launched photo sharing and messaging service for mobile devices is the design: simple, majestic icons, not a dot of Social Media Blue to be seen (will Crayola add it to their Big Box?), and a connect-the-dots representation of your social history.

Path is privatizing your social network, incorporating the closest friends of your choosing (originally 50 but now up to 150 - Thanks for the correction @iPodschun) so you don’t experience the common chronic friends overload. So all those posts you try to hide from lesser friends, acquaintances, coworkers, or your dearest mum? With Path, you don’t have to censor since you’re whittling down your friends list to people you actually want to communicate with day to day, showing them warts and all. It’s like starting over with Facebook, but knowing what you know now.

So why is Path so cool, and, to my eyes, a contender in the social networking scene? You can easily post your location and tag people in your “moments” (a little sappy, but true) – all at once, providing posts with a nice streamlined flow. Also, it contains a nifty camera and video feature. Plus, it has a quality interface, built-in filters (à la Instagram) for both photo and video. And what about that “Dislike” button everyone on Facebook has been asking for? Path’s got it - along with “ecstatic,” and what can be interpreted as “surprised” or “offended.”

Path isn’t a revolution, like Facebook, but it is an evolution from Facebook. It’s an app that’s reinventing the wheel, sure, but with flashy new rims and Ferrari tires.  The user interface is pretty and I like pretty things.

Allison Mason Mellon Producer

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