Fck, We Love It is set to quite literally give the finger to traditional image sharing websites with the launch of its open beta. The Berlin-based startup allows users to love or hate images using horns and middle fingers, in time building up a personalised newsfeed and connecting them with people with similar interests.
It also recognises trendsetters and tastemakers in particular fields with a focus on connecting with the content rather than friends.
The site has been in a limited private beta but is now ready for an open beta release. The feedback so far has led to changes relating to the opacity of the site, showing what tags are used most often and who is using them.
Fck, We Love It is not a traditional social network, connecting users not through existing relationships or communication but through shared loves and hates. Unlike other services, the focus is not on the social connections, but on the content itself. CEO and co-founder Drita Parduzi said: “When I’m on Facebook, I always think about whether I’m going to post a certain image because there are so many people, all mixed, and many might not get it. With Fck, We Love It, people can take something and hate it or love it and it’s not like they are being observed or judged.”
Drita acknowledged that problems surrounding the social aspect of the site, the connecting of people with similar loves and hates, will not be evident until public testing is underway. Initial users involved in the private beta will be given access and invites, and the page will then be launched fully when ready.
There are also plans to partner up with brands when there are enough users, to offer discounts and freebies. Drita hopes this will happen in the next six months. As for the somewhat controversial name of the site, she has not had any negative feedback so far: “We’ve heard that this might cause problems but generally people seem to like the name.”