I understand what you mean and I would never, myself, be interested in a more "closed" community. However, a social network like Facebook already allows you to build your own "echo chamber" by selecting your friends. It's just that these websites reinforce side-wide rules that are aligned with these people's values.
In other words, it's not like openness is a fundamental characteristic of mainstream social networks in the first place.
I just don't think it will go very far. The developed countries of the world are getting less and less religious as time goes by and I think we will see it fall out of favor within my lifetime (I'm in my late twenties). Young people, who make up the majority of internet users, are even less inclined to be religious. This combined with the restrictive and conservative views on important civil issues that religions seem to champion, make me believe that the majority of people seeking an online social community are not going to look at any of these new religious start-ups. I am sure they will get some kind of a following but the issues that set them apart from non-religious social communities are mostly civil rights issues and that will inevitably give them really bad press. In other words, it might gain popularity at first but as soon as they start to really define what makes them different from their competitors, it will cause enough controversy for the moderately religious to back out in fear of being associated with the politics of an online religious social community.
This all adds up to a pretty specific and small user-base that probably won't be able to monetize very successfully.
I understand what you mean and I would never, myself, be interested in a more "closed" community. However, a social network like Facebook already allows you to build your own "echo chamber" by selecting your friends. It's just that these websites reinforce side-wide rules that are aligned with these people's values.
In other words, it's not like openness is a fundamental characteristic of mainstream social networks in the first place.
Hahaha, good point!
I just don't think it will go very far. The developed countries of the world are getting less and less religious as time goes by and I think we will see it fall out of favor within my lifetime (I'm in my late twenties). Young people, who make up the majority of internet users, are even less inclined to be religious. This combined with the restrictive and conservative views on important civil issues that religions seem to champion, make me believe that the majority of people seeking an online social community are not going to look at any of these new religious start-ups. I am sure they will get some kind of a following but the issues that set them apart from non-religious social communities are mostly civil rights issues and that will inevitably give them really bad press. In other words, it might gain popularity at first but as soon as they start to really define what makes them different from their competitors, it will cause enough controversy for the moderately religious to back out in fear of being associated with the politics of an online religious social community.
This all adds up to a pretty specific and small user-base that probably won't be able to monetize very successfully.
I think (and hope!) you're right. Let's hope you are, for all our sakes. :)