Vyoom: A Social Network Built For Real-Time

Going to http://vyoom.com, here's how I can predict this site's eventual failure without having used the software at all:

* The header design is lifted from Facebook, except for the login, which was made artificially bigger and uglier.

* They use an externally hosted video to make me want to join. Hell, they use a video to make me want to join period.

* Using an image just so you can use an ugly serifed font?

* I don't know what bonus points are and I don't care, and I don't care that you're giving me a special offer. Giving me "points" suggests that I'll have to pay money.

* They're bribing me with gizmos to make me active? Desperate.

* Lots of bullshit without telling me why I care.

When something comes out that's really a Facebook killer, versus a Loopt or a Vyoom, you will know it's coming out because it's incredibly simple, doesn't bullshit on its front page, and it explains itself simply and powerfully. Compare this front page to Twitter's front page, which isn't as supersimple as Facebook's but which is fairly bullshit-free. Once you start fucking up your homepage, it's an indicator that you're not good enough to let your product speak for itself.