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Tech

What Is Meerkat? Some Theories

Do you even internet?

ARTHUR HOLLAND MICHEL

me: hey arthur
​there is a new app called meerkat
​have you heard of this and without looking, can you guess what it might be

Arthur: I have heard of it, but I have no idea
​hm
​maybe something to do with posting secrets about the government
​or am I way off the mark?

me: hahahaha

Arthur: meerkats are those animals that stand up, looking out for…lions?

me: hahahaa

Arthur: can I look it up now?

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me: lol yes

Arthur: I was way off
​I don't understand how live video streaming has anything to do with meerkats
​I think of meerkats as the whistleblowers of the animal kingdom


LORENZO FRANCESCHI-BICCHIERAI

I kinda know…but I'm really overloaded by social media apps. Like, I never installed Vine and I barely use Instagram. Is Meerkat a Vine for live video? If so, why the hell would I need or want that?


BECKY FERREIRA

Based on the name, maybe it's a social app, like for organizing impromptu events or something? I'm actually reading about it now and I still kinda don't get what it is.


KARI PAUL

Meerkat is one of those things that I closed Twitter for like one hour and missed completely. I feel like it has to do with video streaming? Maybe of actual animals? I seriously thought everyone on Twitter was watching a live stream of a zoo or something.


???

???: don't quote me by name but the way i learned what it was is sorta funny
​some dude i was talking with on hinge told me he was going to meerkat his surroundings, which i then had to google

me: hahahaa
​and then did he??
​can you meerkat on hinge??

???:  no, he was meerkatting on twitter
​turns out he really was!
​(red flag)


"That sounds like a way to mainline what the black tar heroin equivalent of Gamergate is."


KALEIGH ROGERS

So, what I gather just from listening to people talk about it is that it's a livestream that you can share through Twitter. So it's kind of like a Vine but live and ephemeral?

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FOSTER KAMER

Foster: i mean, i'm sure i've >seen< it but really with all other new apps and the like i just ignore it until i can't ignore it anymore because someone seems to be having fun with it or because curiosity just got the best of me
​for example, i just put "yo" on my phone two weeks ago
​i mean i just googled it and insofar as i can tell it looks like mobile livestream?
​but that's the thing about apps: i'm failing to understand how the new ones are truly any different other than the slightest variations of the old ones
​the way i explain the startup economy to my parents is that it's like multiplicity: they're clones of clones of clones until reduced to scientific retardation of the original conciet
​so whatever meerkat is, i'm gonna go ahead and guess it's a quicker path to an old idea

me: it's like justin.tv or twitch + twitter

Foster: twitch + twitter sounds like the worst goddamn thing ever
​that sounds like a way to mainline what the black tar heroin equivalent of gamergate is
​feel free to quote me on that


CHRIS O'COIN

You can tweet out a live video of whatever you're doing. Do you want my opinion on it? It sounds like the worst idea that's ever crossed the internet and it will ruin many lives and cause much sadness and gnashing of teeth.


MOLLY OSBERG

me: molly have you heard of meerkat yet

Molly: its the twitter video thing right?
​like livestream comments + twitter

me: MAYBE

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Molly: well, the tim pools of the world will be pleased

me: hahaha
​i'm doing a blog post on what people think it is
​unfortunately you already knew

Molly: i googled it bro
​i had never heard of it
​BLOG ON

me: ooh tricky

Molly: you gotta take into account the average internet user's response to anything they dont know​​


"Twitter led me to believe that it had something to do with buying, selling, and making money."​


BEN RICHMOND

I think it's, like, some sort of live-streaming service? I don't think it's just a webcam; I think it maybe broadcasts your screen. It could also be a webcam service though, I guess. There are plenty of successful companies that just do what something else was already doing, but slightly more conveniently and with better branding. If every app's job is really just to distract you from mortality's inevitable creep, I'd say this one's a keeper.


​???

???: the first thing I thought it was
​was a marketing thing
​an app, for marketing stuff
​something akin to salesforce
​I don't know why I thought that
​I guess twitter led me to believe that it had something to do with buying, selling, and making money in the process
​the next thing I thought it was was a snapchat rip-off
​something mildly creative
​that you integrate with other apps, maybe snapchat itself
​to somehow enhance the content
​now what I think it is is some sort of streaming service
​not dissimilar to the [one] portrayed in super sad true love story
​a personal livestream
​in all honestly, I still don't have any idea what it actually is
​and I still refuse to google
​plz don't put my name on this