Pownce Explained

Pownce
Type:Micro-blogging and Social network service
Screenshot Size:250px
Collapsible:yes
Commercial:Yes
Language:English
Registration:Required
Owner:Megatechtronium, Inc.
Author:Kevin Rose,
Leah Culver,
Daniel Burka
Launch Date:June 27, 2007
Current Status:Closed
Revenue:Paid (pro) option and advertising

Pownce was a free social networking and micro-blogging site started by Internet entrepreneurs Kevin Rose, Leah Culver, and Daniel Burka. Pownce was centered on sharing messages, files, events, and links with friends. The site launched on June 27, 2007, and was opened to the public on January 22, 2008.[1] On December 1, 2008, Pownce announced that it had been acquired by blogging company Six Apart, and that the service would soon shut down.[2] [3] It was subsequently shut down on December 15, 2008.[4]

History

Its launch, on June 27, 2007, was covered by Wired,[5] Business Week,[6] Webware,[7] [8] and the San Francisco Chronicle,[9] with most of the coverage focusing on Rose, known for his involvement in Digg, Revision3 and TechTV. Due to this media exposure, invitations for Pownce were in high demand and were being sold on sites such as eBay.[6]

On October 30, 2007, Pownce launched their public API.[10] The developers have also created a Pownce API Google Group.[11] Originally, it was primarily for discussing the release of the API, but it later served to gather feedback and help developers. On November 12, 2007 Pownce launched a custom theme editor for Pro users.[12] They also added eight more preset themes for non pro users to use. On December 20, 2007 Pownce launched a mobile version of their service.[13] This version could be accessed from a variety of mobile devices at m.pownce.com.

On December 1, 2008, Pownce announced that they had been acquired and were shutting down the site,[14] due to a lack of revenue, stagnant growth, and an inability to compete with Twitter.[15] Two weeks later, the site was taken offline.[16]

Comparisons with similar websites

Pownce was compared favorably to other websites with similar functionality such as Twitter, and was called a "Twitter on steroids".[7] CNET's Rafe Needleman recommended Pownce over Twitter in a work setting because of its discussion-tracking capabilities.[8]

Technology

Pownce was built on a variation of the LAMP stack: Debian Linux, Apache, MySQL, and Python. The web application was made with Django, an open source web application framework, written in Python. File storage was supported by Amazon S3. The desktop application was written in Flex for Adobe's AIR platform.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brian . Solis . Pownce Public Opening Party . 2008-01-03 .
  2. Web site: Anthony . Ha . Six Apart acquires and shuts down Pownce . 2008-12-01 . . 2017-09-08 . 2020-12-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201224180941/https://venturebeat.com/2008/12/01/six-apart-acquires-and-shuts-down-pownce/ . live .
  3. Web site: Six Apart . Six Apart . Pownce Acquired by Six Apart . sixapart.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20090305032801/http://sixapart.com/pownce/pro.html . 2009-03-05.
  4. Web site: Pownce . Pownce official website . February 15, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130108201549/http://www.pownce.com/ . January 8, 2013 .
  5. Pseudo Launches: Kevin Rose Announces Pownce Private Beta . 2007-07-15 . 2007-06-28 . Strangle . Adario . Wired . . 2009-01-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090108053354/http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/06/pseudo-launches.html . live .
  6. Web site: Investors Digg Kevin Rose . https://web.archive.org/web/20070711001043/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2007/tc2007079_099992.htm . dead . July 11, 2007 . 2007-07-15 . 2007-07-10 . Ricadela . Aaron . BusinessWeek online . The McGraw-Hill Companies.
  7. Web site: Pownce invites and the rise of Adobe AIR . 2007-07-15 . Butler . Peter . July 13, 2007 . Webware . Pownce--cofounded by Digg frontman Kevin Rose--is essentially a "microblogging" tool, or Twitter on steroids. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210559/http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9743653-2.html . September 27, 2007 .
  8. Web site: How to choose between Twitter and Pownce . 2007-07-15 . Rafe Needleman . July 5, 2007 . Webware . if you're starting from zero, give Pownce a serious look, especially if you're thinking of using it in a work setting . 2020-12-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201224180905/https://www.cnet.com/ . live .
  9. Web site: Future Fresser: Social Network Fatigue . West . Jackson . 2007-07-15 . SFGate . Hearst Communications . 2007-06-28 . 2020-12-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201224180903/https://blog.sfgate.com/culture/2007/06/28/future-fresser-social-network-fatigue/ . live .
  10. Web site: Pownce Public API . Pownce Blog . 2007-10-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071031023427/http://blog.pownce.com/2007/10/30/pownce-public-api/ . 2007-10-31 . dead .
  11. http://groups.google.com/group/pownceapi/ Google Discussiegroepen
  12. Web site: New Themes and Custom Themes! . Pownce Blog . 2007-11-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071113145318/http://blog.pownce.com/2007/11/12/new-and-custom-themes/ . 2007-11-13 . dead .
  13. Web site: Pownce Mobile! (beta) . Pownce Blog . 2007-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071226043315/http://blog.pownce.com/2007/12/20/pownce-mobile-beta/ . 2007-12-26 . dead .
  14. Web site: Movable Type - Content Management System, Blog Software & Publishing Platform . 2008-12-02 . 2020-12-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201224180959/https://movabletype.com/ . live .
  15. Web site: Pownce Closing Down . December 10, 2008 . Izenwasser . Murray.
  16. http://www.crn.com/software/212201417 Pownce Bounced: Twitter Competitor To Shut Doors

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pownce".

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