sitting along the third base line at Yankee Stadium during graduation rainy New York University two years ago, Max Salzberg could not focus. The phone in his pocket will not stop buzzing. In each notification, the NYU senior wiped from the screen to read the e-mail telling others not given the money in the Diaspora, not-even-a-startup he and three college friends hatched the previous month. Buzz. Other donations. Another breakthrough. During the ceremony, Salzberg and co-founder of collecting more than $ 10,000. During the day, $ 40,000 more. A few weeks earlier, Salzberg and three friends from the computer science club, Daniel Grippi, Raphael Sofaer, and Ilya Zhitomirskiy three-minute video was posted rambling crowdfunding site Kickstarter. They want to raise $ 10,000 to create a new kind of social network, allowing people, not corporations, their personal data. They are young. Brodeur thought they could take on Bloomberg BusinessweekTeam summer.Aimee Diaspora: Sarah May, 36 (key Diaspora educator and contributor), Daniel Grippi, 23 (founder), Max Salzberg, 24 (founder), Rosanna Yau, 29 (creating A logo Diaspora and now full-time designer), Kayla Holderbein, 20 (internship), Dennis Collinson, 24 (left Important Labs to help rebuild the Diaspora), Sean Tilley, 21 (open-source community manager) sent four the link to friends and friends got their first donation from their faculty advisor. Several prominent supporter of open Internet tweeted about the campaign, and within 12 days, people have their great Diaspora 10. And money keeps coming. A New York Times reporter called them for an interview at midnight, followed by a photo shoot in the morning. Then, the day before the beginning of May, four undergrads who find themselves in the Times home page. "It's just exploded like crazy," said Grippi. Time to perfect them. Facebook recently changed privacy policies, said its members will keep track of personal data to third-party websites. There were protests from users concerned can track them beyond their personal pages. Facebook has changed its privacy policy half a dozen times, any changes the user hints grand bargain is made with the most popular social network in the world. This allows them to keep an eye on the long-lost classmates, share vacation photos, and feel connected, all at no cost. Instead, their profile is not really every bit of them owned by the company and used to advantage. To connect to Facebook, users have a choice but to agree to the policy, and on the night of almost $ 100 billion Facebook initial public offering, the commercial value of the option is all the more clear: the year 2011 the company earned $ 5.11 per user, particularly by serving up targeted ads. Nine hundred million people implicitly decided that the trade-off is worth it.Diaspora aims to convince consumers otherwise. The founders envisioned a site that will serve as a social network, but it will give users ownership of their data, the exploitation out of the equation. You can keep what you post on the server you want and then share, delete, or use it however you choose. The idea is undeniable appeal, but four students were assigned itself the task of malignant. They eventually overcome the technical challenges in the development of functional sites. Today, the Diaspora is a social network that has the following active, dedicated small, yet open to the public. But now the founder had persuade the privacy Puritan-defeating to use their products. After all, social networking does not work without joining. On the afternoon of May, the founder Diaspora could not think their ideas will lead to a tumultuous two years that includes moving to Silicon Valley, fame, control, and tragedy. Before the founder started coding, 6,479 people giving $ 200,641 Diaspora, what Grippi calls attention improbably set expectations high that some 19 - ". Facebook Fk money "the 22-year-old, the use of open source software, it can take, the most popular social network in the world. In spring new edition of rain, Eben Moglen, founder of the Software Freedom Law Center in New York, visited the NYU to give a call to arms. "He says we are all nerds, we are big guys like Facebook and Google (GOOG)," recalled Grippi. "We do not have a way to connect with each other without compromise our privacy." Moglen has challenged them to code seriously a group of four young solution.The technicians. If Diaspora was formed in Liverpool in 1960, Paul McCartney Salzberg. After 22, Salzberg is a passionate speaker, chatty and full of ideas. Grippi, then 21, was a group of John Lennon, a cool person who wants artistic design. Sofaer, a student of 19 years, Ringo Starr, brother casual child but be careful. George Harrison leave Zhitomirskiy, junior, sometimes idealistic practical spirit. "Being a part of creating something wonderful for the universe," Zhitomirskiy told New York magazine in 2010. Is an opportunity to 'kill dragon'Inspired of Moglen's visit, four small offices kept their club and build a prototype of Diaspora Leora IsraelFor Zhitomirskiy, Diaspora, Kickstarter proposals posted, and watch the money pour. What used to a summer project came suddenly with a broader mandate. They have now promised thousands of people many of whom are not qualified as they are, they build something that will challenge Facebook. "Diaspora is trying to destroy the idea that the network really dominant," Sofaer Zhitomirskiy says.He and decided to take time off school and joined the San Francisco Grippi and Salzberg. For Zhitomirskiy, it was a chance to "kill the dragon" and pursue the ideals he thought were fundamentally the right side of history. "He really believed in the project," his mother, Inna Zhitomirskaya, wrote in an e-mail. "It was his baby." Group of printed free office space and principal of Essential Labs, San Francisco, where software developers are working Sofaer brother and whose clients include Twitter and Groupon (GRPN). May they pounded the first batch of code and learn the challenges of building what is known as a federated network. Most websites, including Facebook, have a centralized system in which all user data sitting on a company server. Diaspora is more like e-mail. You have the option to host your own server, or, if you're like most people and do not have the time or expertise here, you can sign up for other people. Server can compete for users by offering, say, the theme for the French speakers, plug-in for sports fans, or greater privacy controls. "If we build it on a centralized structure, our code base is like this," said Grippi, put his hands inches apart from one another. "But because of our federation, it's like this," she continued, extending his arms as far as they can go. In September 2010, after three months of programming, the team released the first collection of code, "pre-alpha" preview. Nyali unique, but the site looks a lot like Facebook. You can post updates and pictures and comment on others status messages. Unlike Facebook, you can group the contacts by "aspects," which allows you to choose who can see what. The founders saw the release as a starting point for developers to help work out kinks and make a feature, but it is buggy and full of security holes bloggers and tech sites call. "The bottom line at this time is nothing you can do to someone's Diaspora account, no," said software developer Patrick McKenzie Register, UK IT website. Tim plowed continue, increasing security and bug fixes, and by Thanksgiving opened the "private alpha," an early version was released to a limited group. They started their own server, joindiaspora.com, and during the following months adding features such as hashtags and browser extensions called cubbi.es that makes it easy to share photos online. They have a bank account and file documents incorporated.In about a year, they managed to build a social network that functions more or less like Facebook, but let people have their data. Without any real marketing, more than 600,000 people use the site, but it is a narrow cut of the population, attracted many curious and European engineers. "There is a time that we do not know 100 percent what we're doing besides making gradual," said Salzberg. They found a way to let users actually have their data. What they do not have another reason to get people to join. Big players, however, watching them closely. In June 2011, Google released Google Plus, which is good, this time is for real push into social networking. Blogger technology quickly remember how much the new site looks Diaspora, Google has "a milkshake Diaspora," says ReadWriteWeb blog and, in particular, how the Google "Board" That I like Diaspora "take their ideas openly ";" aspects "did Zhitomirskiy very proud, her mother said. "They obviously cribbed things from us," said Salzberg. Google said that precedes design Diaspora.The same day, Google also released Takeout, another project of personal data in the works for years. Takeout is the brainchild of Google engineer Brian Fitzpatrick. In 2006 he received half a dozen programmers to work on a pet project. In a twist, the team made it easy for people to take their data and leave Google. "We want people to think about it in the same way as they think about their personal property," said Fitzpatrick. Google Teams adopting provocative persona, calling themselves Data Liberation Front. Their logo with red boxing channel Karl Marx bubbly brand of Google, and the team went by-products to develop a tool to export and delete personal data. Over time, the list of "exempt" products grew, eventually including major platforms such as Gmail, web search, and Google Plus. As part of the launch last June of one-step download, Fitzpatrick gave top Google executives themselves red, three-foot bolt cutter stamped with the "liberators" with a handle. Hold Another read, "users do not need to get their data." Fitzpatrick said that by giving users the short term, Data Liberation Front to force Google engineers to develop better products to keep users in the long run. "Definitely the best interests of our business," he explains. "If you lock people into a product that you can die in the vine, and you just do not know it until later." Some of your personal data is only one piece of the puzzle. Once you do, what will you do it? Is dedicated to a digital shoe box, hidden and only brought for inspection nostalgia? "Say some fancy new social network, and you want to try it. You should be able to do that, right "mean? Google Plus Diaspora glimpse of what could be, but the results are not satisfactory. 100 million users spending an average of three minutes a month on the site, according to comScore (SCOR). Despite all the resources of Google and many great features, Google Plus users still do not really get away from Facebook, which shows how inertia can be powerful or how well Facebook. In August 2011, Sofaer chose to return to NYU for the first year. Occasionally, parents Zhitomirskiy are requested to consider going back to school but do not push. "After all, anyone can go out and spend money on the education of their parents, but not much can go and do something cool," he said. The three remaining founders will continue to work. A few weeks before the November 2011 release of the beta site is open to all, canceled the release. Diaspora still do not feel like they've cracked the code. On Saturday, November 12, 2011, at 20:13, Salzberg earned a text message. A friend said that the mother Zhitomirskiy not able to reach her. Salzberg texted another friend of the roommates phone number Zhitomirskiy and friends immediately called back. Zhitomirskiy was dead, he said, and make it look like a suicide. Although Salzberg is seen Zhitomirskiy emotional struggle with lows in the past, the news "did not sign up," Salzberg Now remember, twirling his beard he began growing and has not shaved that day. People soon appear on the home environment Salzberg mission, which became the center of mourning. They drank a bottle of Maker Mark and cooked in a large pot of macaroni and cheese. "One minute you're crying, and the next time you laugh your ass," said Salzberg. They are called the ritual "ShivaFest" Jewish mourning after the death of Zhitomirskiy tradition.News rapid spread of technology blogs. Followed by major news organizations, the New York Times ran an obituary. The founders did not talk about it publicly until now.Media reports speculated that his death was the result of undue pressure on the founder. For those who know Zhitomirskiy, that's not true. "Yes, I agree that being a startup founder of stress," said Salzberg. "But it is not a stressful job that killed Ilya. He has problems of its own. He is sick "(San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled the death suicide last month.) Mother Zhitomirskiy not comment on reports that his son had a history of mental illness, saying only," :. I strongly believe Ilya did not start this project and stay in school, she would be fine and live now "After the funeral mourning Zhitomirskiy in San Francisco (simulcast on the Web) and services in Philadelphia., Salzberg and Grippi put the company on hold. Salzberg spent his days playing video games. Grippi pounded squat with friends and the code that makes Diaspora faster.At run three times late last year, Grippi and Salzberg if they have two options to provide or rebuild. During walking and beer in December, they discuss what is unique in the Diaspora. They formed a kind of change the world from places where people can feel free to express themselves, but the product will be better, more focused. They can make it more mainstream by making it more like a paradox Facebook. And it works can be happy again.
When Grippi and Salzberg returned in January, they know they can not rebuild itself. They took Dennis Collinson as "magic tree" full-time (head of engineering) and Rosanna Yau designers to help the look of the site and the user experience. They considered two full "final stage co-founder." They keep talking about where to go, how to be more focused on the product, and how it differs Diaspora makes decentralized structure. Without knowing it, Diaspora started playing around with ideas pervasive in other startups. Once you have your own data, new possibilities open: you can learn from it and benefit from it. Startup will try to see if the additional benefits shake the user out of their complacency. One model of attention is what is called personal data locker, which lets people aggregate their data and elite share them with businesses they trust. A new startup, Personal, was $ 7.6 million of funding, including venture funds Revolution locker Steve Case and others, on their own, recently closed a $ 7 million round. SWIFT (Society for Interbank Financial Telecommunication across the world), a global cooperative process wire transfers between banks, plans to start testing its own locker. Even marketers who really benefit from scaling up to see the future more middle owners. Fatemeh said Khatibloo, Forrester Research analyst who advised advertisers, "ignoring individuals' economic data is a time bomb, the greater the safety briefs and feel icky tracked slow shift from the consumer to ask for greater control. And that could mean a larger audience for the Diaspora. On a perfect day of April in San Francisco, the team continues its adventure to marry the old vision Diaspora. He set up the lines of an open table in the loft-like Labs Important 'offices. Salzberg hunch over a laptop, struggling with legacy batch code. "This is a fascinating open-source software to change the world, but we still have to deal with st," he said and put his head back. In the table above, plot Grippi what Diaspora will look like new. After studying the physical properties alone will not attract the attention of people, they are now hoping that adding a layer of artistic ownership will do the trick. On Facebook, users are channeled design.Whether they both angry or excited, update them on Facebook all appear shaped: all the Lucida fonts, all the same size, all in blue and white. Specific online personas can be a better visual picture of personality. Diaspora is hoping that the right tools, people can feel proud of the things they are online and can channel the joy of DIY creativity. As the success of the show in Instagram, which gives users creative control, such as choosing the snapshot filtering can be very popular. Diaspora want to extend the idea of ​​how users post pictures, text, and video. "We will give you both a technical and emotional investment in what you do," said Salzberg. On this day, Grippi and Collinson focus on developing a set of templates that allows users to control how their visible status updates. If the short text, the user can have the words displayed on the hip, minimalist font splashed the picture. If there is more text, it can be designed more like a newspaper, with a headline and serif fonts. Feed updates to personal home pages are four column grid with pictures and updates on different sized rectangles. Click on the update, and it is larger. Click on the bar above updated, and expanded to cover the entire screen. In this prototype, users control the nuances of each post. Salzberg has designed home page with lots of text, while Grippi is a collage of hip, muted picture. Then the user can choose whether to share only in the Diaspora, or on Facebook, Twitter, or other networks, too. If you change your mind, you can go back and change the design or remove it completely: you have a byte and expression. "There is something bad happened lets you focus on what's really important," says Sarah Mei, a developer Labs valuable adviser for Diaspora. "They are developing more such products, and the most open-source projects do not do that." If something can help in the Diaspora to fulfill his ambition to create a product distinguished the ideals of the lure, This is a Y-Combinator startup accelerator. In June team moved to Mountain View for three months to attend this program. Y-Combinator helped launch cloud storage startup Dropbox, a vacation rental site Airbnb, and presentation sharing hub Scribd and has a reputation for guiding the startup to clear the product and finally connect founders with investors . The team expects the Diaspora formed during the summer program and then open to the public. People can sign up for updates on the launch date joindiaspora.com. "To think about [the Diaspora] as an anti-Facebook limits of what we want to do," said Salzberg. "We want the stories of positive data." Like the team head for lunch, intern, Kayla Holderbein, taking pictures with his iPhone Collinson shows off her deep V-neck T-shirt cut from the Diaspora. He uploaded pictures and text, "# V-neck this Wednesday, guys," and took one of the templates Diaspora. "Dennis, I made something for you," he said, showing off the mashup. On hearing the magic words, "made," Salzberg jumped out of his seat. "Cool! Listen to what you say! That's the idea. '
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