Unfortunately, The Taylor Martinez live interview we were to do for this evening has been cancelled.
I did, however, take the time to look at his new iOs app:Journey-A Positive Social Network.
I realize a quick review will not be as interesting as talking live to the guy, but I did promise Martinez that I would promote his app and I intend to follow through on that promise.
Introduction
I didn't find Journey-A Positive Social Network by searching through the app store. I had to go to the iTunes link on our previous article in order to find and download it.
Like any other social network you need to create an account.
A few introductory screens tell you what you need to know about using the app.
Remember
This is a positive social networking experience and NEGATIVE COMMENTS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. If there are any negative comments or you are flagged for such comments your profile will be suspended indefinitely.
This is the first indication that this is a different kind of social network. Consider that if twitter had such a warning that 98% of the network would be deleted or not exist in the first place.
Share
You can share information with other users based on the following app components:
Stumbles
Stumbles allows the user to post questions for other users to view, comment, and share advice or support.
Reflections
Reflections are general posts in which the user can post how they feel, what they are doing, what is on their mind, etc.
Pictures
Users can post pictures of anything they want to provide a fun way to share their journey.
MY Journey
The user's personal story.
Location Services
to locate other users, of course. I find this part... intimidating. I typically leave location services off on my phone because I really don't want anyone to know how to find me. Ever. This is a generational thing, perhaps.
Select a category
This is where you select whatever type physical or mental challenges you're dealing with. It's like they listed every anomaly known to mankind here. I chose "Depression" because sometimes I fall off the end of the earth. If I have any other ailments I sure as hell don't admit to them, although "Back Pain" would fit me as well.
You can choose be a "Supporter", but I'm not very supportive, really, and while being a supporter sounds really nice, it's not conducive to finding other people who are like you unless all you're going to do is support other supporters.
Find people to follow
Like any other social media network you have to connect to other people. I have no idea how people do this; it must be a generation thing. The app suggests people, I assume, based on the category you choose when you built your profile.
Using Journey - A Positive Social Network
I have been blessed with damned good health. At 53, I have still to break a bone and be admitted to a hospital. I have three children who are very healthy, also a blessing. Other than cancer infecting people around me, my life has been void of dealing with ailments. Again, blessed.
I understand the concept of this app, though. Were I to have epilepsy, it'd be darned decent to have a place where I could go and discuss things with other people who have epilepsy regardless of where in the world they were located. Were I young and diagnosed with such, I would be terrified and would no doubt want to lean on others who have gone through the same thing. No doubt there are support networks for such things already, but there is a certain solace in sharing with strangers (even if they're called "friends" in social media), i.e., the need to talk to someone about what's going on but who isn't directly affected by what's happening to you at that moment in time.
Ripple that concept through the rest of all the mental and physical troubles in the world and you get an idea where Journey fits.
You can search through the network, finding others to follow. Most interesting to me are the photos, although it struck me that everyone is younger, sometimes much younger than me.
Ambitious
Journey-A Positive Social Network is, honestly, pretty ambitious. There is no cost, there are no ads. If it is successful, its growth will make it difficult to sustain, especially the need to cull negative comments and people who might potentially prey on others' misfortunes.
Journey is the antitheses of twitter, which I have been avoiding lately because I see it as a hellhole of humanity. Everything is an overreaction, then an outrage against the overreaction, then an outrage against the outrage, all the space of a few hours. I find little positive in it lately.
I imagine it will take some momentum for Journey to be successful; God knows there are enough people with troubles in the world. Maybe this will be another tool with which they find each other and help each other.
I hope so.