Spring.me: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:22, 17 August 2017

Revision as of 23:56, 14 September 2017

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Users of the site could follow others privately. While logged in as a registered user, people could also ask questions to his or her followers from the homepage. Spring.me also asked one question per day named "Formspring Question of the Day" which was flashed in user's inbox. In January 2011, Spring.me added a smile button which acted similar to the [[Facebook Like button|Like button on Facebook]].

In September 2011, Formspring released an iPhone Application<ref>{{cite news|title=Formspring launches iPhone App|url=httphttps://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2011/09/13/formspring-launches-iphone-app-for-its-personal-q-and-a-service/ | work=Forbes | first=Tomio|last=Geron|date=2011-09-13}}</ref> and several months later, in January 2012, further added to its mobile presence with the launch of its Android Application.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Mashable|last=Kessler|first=Sarah|title=Formspring Launches an Android App|url=http://mashable.com/2012/01/24/formspring_android/|accessdate=24 January 2012}}</ref>

Also in January 2012, Formspring launched two additional features to the service. One new tool allowed users to sort responses to questions by the number of "Smiles" received in order to bring the most liked content to the top of response streams. The added functionality aimed to give users the power to curate the best content on the site. In addition to letting users see their top smiled responses, the new feature allowed Formspringers to view top responses from other users and also see the most smiled responses to a question that was asked to multiple people at once. The second new functionality launched gave Formspringers the option to choose whether they want to publicly or privately follow the accounts of other users. As part of this feature, Formspring users were now able to see how many others on the site are following their account.<ref name="Empson"/>

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== Controversies ==

Since its inception, Formspring garnered controversies, especially among teenagers, as it opened doors for [[harassment]] and [[bullying|cyberbullying]] due to the anonymity of the entries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.www.uctangerine.com/media/storage/paper815/news/2010/02/26/Entertainment/Formspring.Sparks.Curiosity.Caution-3879960.shtml |title=Formspring Sparks Curiosity, Caution - Entertainment |publisher=Media.www.uctangerine.com |date=2010-02-26 |accessdate=2010-11-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/us/06formspring.html | work=The New York Times | title=Teenage Insults, Scrawled on Web, Not on Walls | first=Tamar | last=Lewin | date=May 5, 2010}}</ref> A fight between several students at a [[Central Dauphin East High School|high school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]], started after an argument over Formspring and it received some media attention in February 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=School Disputes Claims of Near-Riot|first=Dennis|last=Owens|url=http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0210/707982.html|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20100611235957/http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0210/707982.html|date=February 19, 2010|archivedate=2010-06-11|work=abc27 News}}</ref> On 12 March 2010, a news article, which later turned out to be a [[hoax]], reported Formspring creators planning to release personal information about its users via [[Twitter]] and other social networking sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inquisitr.com/66425/formspring-to-reveal-users-private-data/ |title=Formspring prank story plagues Twitter |publisher=Inquisitr.com |date=2010-03-12 |accessdate=2010-11-06}}</ref> Formspring has stated on its company blog that it will never publicly reveal anonymous information of its users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.formspring.me/2010/08/can-you-tell-me-who-asked-me-an-anonymous-question/ |title=Can you tell me who asked me an anonymous question? |publisher=Formspring.me |date=2010-08-10 |accessdate=2010-12-14}}</ref> On 22 March 2010, Alexis Pilkington, a 17-year-old New York high school graduate, committed suicide,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/family-friends-shocked-at-cyberposts-after-teen-s-death-1.1827393 |title=Family, friends shocked at cyberposts after teen's death |publisher=Newsday.com |date=2010-03-23 |accessdate=2010-11-06}}</ref> reportedly after several insulting comments targeting her had been posted on Formspring in the days leading up to her death. Soon after, a local grassroots boycott of the Formspring site began.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/after-teen-s-death-3-800-pledge-web-site-boycott-1.1829354 |title=Alexis Pilkington's friends vow to boycott social networking site|publisher=Newsday.com |date=2010-03-24 |accessdate=2010-11-06}}</ref>

In February 2011, an incident allegedly prompted by bullying on Formspring led to the death of 15-year-old Natasha MacBryde from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, United Kingdom. The Coroner's inquiry heard that she received anonymous personal abuse via the website on 13 February; this appears to have compounded bullying and teenage anxiety to a level, where Natasha took her own life on 14 February after researching suicide methods. According to the Daily Telegraph, Det Sgt Shanie Erwin told the inquest that Natasha was known to have received a short anonymous message containing personal abuse via the Formspring networking site on February 13. The message, which was read to the jury by Det Sgt Erwin, derided Natasha for “hiding” behind make-up. It ended: “Start acting nicer to people or you will lose everyone. Mark my words.”<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/8653867/Teenager-in-rail-suicide-was-sent-abusive-message-on-social-networking-site.html |title=Teenager in rail suicide was sent abusive message on social networking site |publisher=Daily Telegraph |date=2011-07-22 |accessdate=2011-09-16 |___location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.net/2011/07/22/beautiful-and-talented-teenager-took-her-own-life-inquest-97319-29097736 |title='Beautiful & talented' teenager took her own life - inquest |publisher=birminghammail.net |date=2011-07-22 |accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref>