An introduction to Path: our latest social media obsession. Brought to you by the friendly faces of the Periscope Community Team.

1. SOCIAL STUDIES
PATH: WHY YOU NEED ANOTHER SOCIAL
MEDIA APP
January 2012

2. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
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3. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
so…
what is Path?
what started as a photo-sharing app that lost to Instagram
has evolved into one social network to rule them all.
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4. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
what makes it special?
• Mobile based: Only available on iPhone and Android.
• Limited by design: Only 150 friends are allowed, so
choose carefully. Why 150? That’s the limit of regular
contact with other humans, according to anthropologist
Robin Dunbar. Here, social media limits finally reflect your
biological social limits.
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5. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
what makes it special?
• You hypocrite! We all inherently want privacy but then
project mounds of personal info out to the world. We
speak out of both sides of our mouths all the time.
• Now you can have it all: Never again censor yourself
because you’re afraid your random high school friend or
2nd cousin will make a snarky comment on a photo. Your
‘top tier’ friends can be in the know and everyone else
can be blissfully ignorant.
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6. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
what makes it special?
• Private by default: Because your social circle online is as
exclusive as it is offline. Nobody can see anything about
your Path until you approve them. Privacy is a top
concern for Path – you control what other people see
about you.
• Public by choice: Selectively choose to share via your
other social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare
and Tumblr). But only if you elect to. Otherwise, it’s only
for those that get past the velvet rope.
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7. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
what’s the point?
What are you doing?
Where is it happening?
Who are you with?
Every post on your Path should answer
these three fundamental questions.
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8. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
what’s the point?
If Facebook is feeling a little too…
crowded for you, you’ll like having a
simplified feed of only your VIPs.
It’s like Facebook Lite. All the sharing
you want, without that nasty social
media hangover.
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9. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
what’s the point?
Share a photo, thought, location
check-in, the music you’re listening
to or the person you’re with.
You can keep it private, share only
with your Path friends or link
selective posts to your Twitter,
Facebook, Tumblr or Foursquare
accounts, giving you a single
publisher for your social presences.
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10. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
how does Path stack up?
APP
AUDIENCE
PLATFORM
PROS
CONS
USER BASE
Path
Your BFFs, all 150
Mobile app only. Limited audience, Limited audience.
1+ million
of them.
iPhone and Android.
use as social
publisher or feed.
Facebook
Formerly your BFFs, Web, mobile web and Everyone is here.
Constant privacy 800+ million
now everyone and mobile app.
issues/your mom
your mother.
is on this.
Twitter
Everyone and anyone, Web, mobile web, Short and sweet 140 character 105+ million
unless you set your mobile app and iOS updates let you use limit, limited
account to private.
integration.
this as a reader, so search function.
you can use Twitter
without ever
Tweeting.
Google+
Other Google+ users. Web, mobile web and It’s Google. Simple, Dude, nobody is 60+ million
Smaller audience.
mobile app.
clean and easy.
actually there.
Instagram
Your shutterbug Mobile app.
Everyone is a iPhone only
12+ million
friends.
professional
photographer!
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Foursquare
Your stalker friends.
Mobile app.
Specials, deals and Your stalker 15+ million
the gamification of friends. Plus,
location-based check-in
social.
cheaters!

11. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
join us!
That is, if we’re not at 150 friends already.
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12. SO C IAL STU DIE S | Pat h
Brought to you by the Periscope Community Team
your friendly social media resource.
Will Stark
Nora McInerny Purmort
Rebecca Lunna
Tara Olson
Evan Carpenter
Pensive and thoughtful.
A tall glass of milk.
Singer. Raconteur.
Class, sass and sparkles.
A loner and a rebel.
@onegoodwill
@noraborealis
@rlunna
@futureadexec
@evancarpenter84
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