HyperTexting: New App Transforms Websites & Blogs into Social Feeds, Aims to Revive the Independent Web
A new iOS app launches with the concept of transforming the fragmented world of websites, blogs, and podcasts into easy-to-scroll social media-like feeds, while also simplifying posting to one's own website.
HyperTexting, a new application recently available for download on iOS, is gaining attention for its attempt to solve the fragmentation of the "Open Web," which consists of independent websites, personal blogs, or various newsletters. It transforms this content into a continuous, scrollable feed, similar to the user experience of social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. The core of HyperTexting is to make it easy to follow content from multiple sources. Users can add their favorite websites, blogs, newsletters, or even podcasts to the app. The app then gathers new updates and displays them in a single, endlessly scrollable feed. Behind this functionality lies a technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication - a data format for frequently updated websites), an open standard that has existed for a long time. HyperTexting rebrands and modernizes it for ease of use without directly promoting the technology itself. A key feature that sets HyperTexting apart from typical RSS readers is its content creation and publishing function. Users can connect their own websites to the app, whether built with WordPress, Ghost, or even tools provided by HyperTexting itself. When a user writes a new post through the app, the content is published both on the user's original website and appears simultaneously in followers' feeds on HyperTexting. This allows creators to retain full ownership of their content on their own platforms while also gaining a social media-like distribution channel. The app is the brainchild of Caleb Hailey, who has over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, under his company Herd Works Inc. Currently, HyperTexting is available for free download on iPhone, with plans to expand to iPad and Mac later this year. Future business models may include premium subscription services or sponsored posts.
HyperTexting represents another effort to offer an alternative for users and creators seeking to escape the algorithms of major social media giants. It encourages people to return to creating and following content on the 'independent web' that they truly own.