Online communities can grow stale, go sour, or get mean. The former #2 at Reddit, Dan McComas, was turned off by the harsh negativity he saw in some of its groups. After he was let go in 2015, he laid plans for a new community site that wouldn’t be so mean. That website is Imzy. Imzy was designed as a positive, healthy community where people could engage with like-minded members about shared interests, according to a report on The Next Web.
Imzy was recently launched with over 400 groups in place, including groups for video games, music, and movies. Part of McComas’ concept is for the groups to be places for fans to interact with content creators. Group moderators and members can also earn tips from other members for good information, or positive contributions to the group.
Imzy’s clear intention is to promote healthy, positive interaction and avoid harassment and attacks. McComas saw Reddit grow increasingly negative, attracting more comment thugs as the site’s reputation for harshness grew. Starting over with a new site, McComas is betting his time and effort that encouraging a positive attitude from the start, and being on the lookout for negativity and meanness, can keep Imzy on message. He’s also betting the $3 million he raised to develop and launch the site.
Unlike Reddit, which is monetized by advertising, Imzy will not carry ads. The intended main source of funding is the tips program. Later on, McComas hopes that member donations and small cuts of site-based transactions will contribute to the revenue stream.
The site’s color scheme and graphics may make you think at first you’ve gone to a children’s website. As you scroll down the home page, however, the message of community comes through. There’s even a dashboard when you can see running totals of members, posts, comments, and tips. As of this writing, there are 6,077 members and a total of $368.25 in tips.
