Ponderly 17+

Interesting Concept

At first I wasn’t sure because who needs another social media app right? This is so much more than that. It’s simple to navigate. I would like to see more color themes in the actually app. I definitely like the way it presents opposing views on certain events and situations. What you find on a lot of other social media sites is you are basically being guided into what to think by what’s the next “viral post”. In Ponderly you’re presented with both sides of the situation so you can come to your own conclusion. The app is both relaxing and professional which is very rare to find in/on social media. I hope it continues to grow. I’m a fan.

Overall a positive and unique social media experience.

Unlike other social media apps where there is hardly any attention paid to the validity of peoples’ arguments, this app does a great job of presenting viewpoints that are based on evidence. There is a trade off when it comes to the concise nature of the articles. Stronger arguments can be made with longer articles BUT I don’t really use social media to read long articles anyway. Overall, the articles present digestible information that you can look into further if you are interested enough.

GREAT concept, disappointing execution

I LOVE the concept. Polarization is a real problem and the media is failing us by being both biased and deceptive.

The app fulfills its promise of being unbiased by providing an affirmative and negative perspective on each issue. It does a great job of presenting each issue as undecided so you can form your own opinions.

However, it fails in three critical ways.

In descending order of importance:

1. It does not explain the cheap tactics each side uses to straw man and denigrate the other. Knowing the messaging tactics of each side would go a long way to helping people resist the pull of agenda bearing media outlets.

2. It does not focus on the most controversial, divisive issues. Those should be front and center.

3. It does present the BEST form of each argument. It’s helpful to get an idea of why the perspective of one person who stands for one side of the issue, but unfortunately reading the opinions in the app feels like reading cheap arguments written by high school debaters. They cherry pick stats and anecdotes that support their points rather than getting to the heart of the issue. There is no way to see how each side would respond to the opinions of the other.

Developer Response ,

Thank you for taking the time to write this review. As a growing startup, all feedback is helpful in providing a valuable and intuitive experience for all users. To provide a little context and respond to your 3 points please see below:

1. Staying neutral as a platform is critical, and as a consequence we must allow users to make up their own minds. Our job is to equally represent the most common points used by both sides, not tell the users what is right or wrong. Our unique and intuitive presentation arms users with a much bigger view of an issue, limiting the effectiveness of cheap tactics.

2. US news is one of 13 different categories we are constantly producing content for. What constitutes the most controversial and divisive issues is different for different users. We actively produce a diverse range of content for our users, along with trending news and topics.

3. Our platform is built on short, concise articles from both sides. This is by design to accommodate busy lifestyles that are limited on time. We do cite and hyperlink for further reference. Our diverse group of writers research what the majority of people believe on a specific position and reflect that in their writing. These are not personal opinion pieces, these are a reflection of the majority of public opinion in a fact-based short-form format.

Again thank you for the feedback, we will take all your points into consideration as we continue to develop and grow the platform. Feel free to reach out directly with any suggestions or concerns (info@4b.world), and thank you for your support in helping bring people together!