App.net Is an Open, User-Focused Social Network (We've Got Invites!)

App.net is a microblogging service where you own your data, can use whatever client you want, and can engage with a vibrant and smart community. App.net has been around for a while, but this week they unveiled a free tier of invite-only accounts, and they've extended 2,000 to Lifehacker readers who want to sign up.

App.net isn't new: It earned a lot of attention when it launched, but until now it's been a completely paid service. That's because App.net's "product" isn't its users?instead, the service's paid accounts and paid API access keep it running. It has a bit of a reputation for being an open, developer-friendly social network, and that's largely because the network was built on the premise that you own your own social data?that means all of your friends, connected applications and services, and updates are totally yours. That also goes for the developers who want to build apps and services on top of it (and pay to do so). For those of us who aren't developers, App.net has the potential to be a universal, personally-owned key that can be used to connect to services that support it.

To get one of the new free accounts, you have to be invited by a current user on a paid plan. Free users have a few limitations: they can follow a maximum of 40 users, and they get 500MB of on-site storage. Paid users ($36/yr) get 10GB of storage, the power to invite friends to free accounts, and no limit on the number of people they can follow. If you're a developer who wants to leverage App.net's API, $100/yr gets you all the member features, API access, 2 discounted paid accounts to give away, and access to the service's developer program. Free users can upgrade at any time, and you can read more about the free accounts here.

If you're interested in giving the service a try, the link at the bottom of the article will take you to a special Lifehacker invite page where you can sign up for a free account. Once you finish, you'll automatically follow us @Lifehacker (and we hope you stick with us!) While you're there, here's where you can find the rest of us:

We'll be getting our bearings as much as you are! Once you're up and running, you can choose from a variety of mobile and desktop apps for every desktop and mobile OS (and some webapps) to stay up to date on what's happening at App.net. Check out the App.net Directory for app suggestions, and send us an mention to say hello!

Lifehacker App.net Signup | App.net

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Vaw5erokllU/app-net-is-an-open-user-focused-social-network-weve-481587546

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