Scroll through the #secretcrush hashtag on an iPhone mobile application called #Life. The application displays a stream of consciousness set of images of strangers. Many people in the photos are flipping the bird at the camera. The only context is the hashtags displayed at the bottom of the screen.
#Life is an app that builds an anonymous social network by occupying the space between mobile messaging apps and anonymity preserving apps like Whisper and Snapchat via video centered medium like Vine. No text. Further, the application seems to support the “hyperlocal” concept as most of the contributors seem to be in the Tampa Bay area.
#Life combines semi-anonymity, messaging and “hyperlocality.” The app is a project developed by an anonymous group of University of South Florida students, who have created a program that preserves some anonymity and creates a stream of photographs organized via a hashtag.
The photo stream in #Life is designed to flow like a real-time photo album. Each hashtag has a stream of pictures associated with the hashtag. If #Life sounds Twitter-esque, it is, except that the 140 character text message in Twitter is replaced by a photograph.
The application started with inspiration from another application called YikYak. YikYak is a messaging application that combines anonymity, geolocation and Twitter. The #Life application organizes a stream of pictures organized by hashtag. Think Twitter without the text.
#Life is semi-anonymous, at best. As more, and larger, hashtagged photo streams are created, the preservation of anonymity with this app is probably not going to be strong, particularly since most of the photos are of people.
The User Interface is extremely simple and clean. The photo screen has a close icon and a “report as inappropriate” flag at the top of the screen. At the bottom, the photo view has the hashtags, the view count and an upvote/downvote button. I created a hashtag called #seniorcupcake and uploaded a fine work of art by my 9-year-old of “Senior Cupcake” onto the new hashtag. The performance of the application was good, and it is simple to use.
There is a limit of five hashtags for each user. The app is fully integrated with the onboard camera of the iPhone. The application also provides a direct link to the #Life app from your iPhone photo directory. You can tag photos with multiple hashtags. The photos are stored in a remote hosting facility, probably iCloud, with hashtags working as search reference points.
Searching for more? Try finding hashtags associated with St. Petersburg or USF St. Petersburg.
Looking for the app? Follow our steps:
App: #Life
Platform: iTunes only. Android not supported.
The application can be found on the iTunes store under #Life or at the URL https:#itunes.apple.com/us/app/life-hashtag-your-life/id904884186?mt=8
