There's been a lot of apps racing to replace Amino.
Recently there's been a wave of apps keeping up with updates on the status of their apps, whether they're in beta, wanting suggestions, or asking you to join their communities.
These apps are usually flagged with the following:
- Community Ad
- AI Generated
- At Your Own Risk
I wanted to explain what each of these post flairs mean, so that you're informed on what platforms you're engaging with.
AI Generated
Apps tagged with AI Generated are apps that have used substantial amounts of AI when advertising or their product consists of blatant use of AI. Some of these apps have made it transparent that their apps are AI generated which is good, a lot do not outright tell the truth and just continue to advertise their product as a normal app.
Although times are changing and AI is being used to develop apps more and more, this isn't a requirement to developing apps, and a lot of times it cuts back on development time which means a lot of bugs and security issues get through. A lot of these apps also tend to not have experience in actual engineering, there are no companies tied which means no liability, and moderation falls back as resources are underestimated on how much is actually required to maintain a social media app.
The main reason for the flair is safety. There has previously been around 3–4 apps advertised here that ended up leaking user credentials, including passwords.
At Your Own Risk
These are apps where it can be hard to tell who actually made them or how much of the app was AI-generated. They may come from unknown developers, have no registered company behind them, or simply have little to no reputation yet.
That doesn't automatically mean the app is bad. It could just be a new app that's starting out. However, being new also means there may not be enough information available to know how safe or trustworthy it actually is.
Some apps may also use misleading advertising to make themselves seem more popular or trustworthy than they really are. If you decide to try one of these apps, keep in mind that they may fall short when it comes to:
- Moderation
- Security
- Community Standards
- Liability
- Data Privacy
Ways of Deceptive Advertising
Fake recommendations
Someone made this app (not me), come check it out!
This is when someone promotes an app like they randomly found it, when they're actually the developer, owner, or connected to the app in some way. It makes the recommendation look genuine when it's really just advertising.
Not every new or unknown app is unsafe, but it's still a good idea to be cautious when there's not much information about who's behind it or how your data is being handled.
Apps found to be under Copyright & Trademark Violations will be removed.
This includes apps that are stealing assets, logo, branding, and code. This is illegal, & creates confusion when someone believes that Amino is being revived.
Some have brought up that MediaLab won't renew their trademark registry, but just because they don't renew their registration doesn't mean all of their resources become free for anyone to use. A trademark expiring doesn't mean they lose every right to the name, or brand. It also doesn't mean their copyrighted materials like code, artwork, graphics, and other assets, become public property.
The biggest concern though is that it tricks people into thinking "Amino 2.0" released by "Narvii" is an official return, and then misinformation quickly spreads that Amino is returning. There is no news or updates that Amino will ever return officially. Amino is officially shutdown.
Community Ad
These are apps that have already been established for many years, have a registered company, and have shown to have a community growth + backing. This includes things like Discord, Telegram, Reddit, and other alternatives that have been around long enough.
Regardless of the reputation of these apps, you should always use your best judgment when trying out an app regardless of its reputation. I understand everyone is desperate to relive the nostalgia, but you should also be self aware of what you're willing to invest your time to, including your personal information.
Endgoal
Overall, it's recommended for apps to handle their own advertising. This subreddit is mainly meant to be a place for former Amino users to reconnect. The flairs and advertising requirements are really just there to make sure people aren't being misled or taken advantage of.
Once an app is established, it generally shouldn't be using this subreddit to advertise every update or new feature. Most established apps grow here through word of mouth anyway, with actual users mentioning them while promoting their own communities. For example, someone might post, "Come join my Steven Universe community on XYZ." Once an app has an established user base, updates about the app itself should stay within its own communities.
This subreddit shouldn't turn into an advertising hub for different apps. It's supposed to be a place where actual users can talk, reconnect, and reminisce about Amino. A lot of people just want somewhere to hang out, find people they used to talk to, and reconnect on whatever platform they prefer.
If you want to talk about old Amino memories, vent about your experiences, find people to roleplay with, or just chat, go for it. But if the subreddit gets flooded with posts advertising different apps, it stops feeling like a community and starts feeling like an ad board.
Ultimately, Community Ads should mainly be for users advertising communities they've created on an established platform. For example, if you used to moderate an Adventure Time Amino and you've now created an Adventure Time Discord server, you can use a Community Ad to let former members know where to find it. That's the kind of thing the Community Ad flair was originally created for.
