Vero seems to be more than just social networking...

There is a new kid on social media, one more platform for you to work those social networking skills - 'Vero'.  

In the past one week, this application has seen a surge  in its popularity. The photo and link-sharing service is attracting users with its concept of connecting people with over common things like movies, music, places and photos.

But will this Instagram competitor survive  the race of acceptance? A few users share their opinion with 'Metrolife' after a week's trial.

Shivaraj Natraj, a  musician, says, "The  interface is pretty catchy and different, one can choose who gets to see what. There are three options - close friend, friend and acquaintance. When a person is sending a friend request, the user can choose to categorise him/her in any of these options. This option lets one have a more filtered list on their timeline and we can share personal details with a more selected group of people."  

It was his friends from abroad who suggested Shivaraj to try this app. "The other thing that I like about this app is we can share music from any song streaming platform which  was  not possible on other social media sites. It is a peer-to-peer connection," says Shivaraj.  

Users can also share links to their favourite e-book, a movie, a restaurant or an article with selected people. Says Sumit, "I feel it is a space to socialise more. I like the fact that it helps one to have their own bank of links; a music lover can keep an online collection of songs of his favourite genre or artiste. It is a more personalised space."

Having said that, Sumit also opines that the user interface can seem complicated for some. He suggests that  users read up about the app and understand its nuances. When asked if he would like to have  one application for all his online activities, he says, "Yes, why not. It will make work simpler with lesser distractions." He adds that many photographers have started using this application.

However, Richa Gupta, food blogger, is a little  cynical. She didn't like the look and feel of the app, calling it "a combination of Facebook and Instagram".  

Richa also remembers how many social media applications promised to not have any algorithm controlling the feeds but went back on their words over the years. "Vero too promises to have an organic and chronological reach, but we don't know if this will continue. As content curators, we put in a lot of time and effort to create online feeds and if it's the algorithm that decides who, when and if people will see our posts, it doesn't sound appealing to me," she says.