TalkShow: A messaging app for "texting in public”

Its just been a day and people are already going berserk about this new social networking app from ex-Twitter VP Michael Sippy- Talkshow. This new iOS app out yesterday takes the act of texting from a closed-door conversation to a public chat anyone can view.

Call it ‘Periscope for texting’ or a mashup of WhatsApp and Twitter, the app lets anyone create a "show" and start talking with friends. The thread, which operates much like a chat room, is viewable by anyone on Talkshow who follows you, but only those who are invited to the show may participate in the conversation which means randoms from the Internet cannot come in and crash the party. This also allows for a closed and curated discussion.

Talkshow, it seems, is like if Twitter and Viber had a baby (but kept dropping it on its head)

— Jessica Plautz (@jessicaplautz) April 26, 2016

The idea is not too novel, but it is reacting to a specific desire: every day, users on text-heavy social platforms post screenshots of private texts so friends, or fans in the case of celebrities, can share in the experience. Founder Michael Sippey said in a blog post that the concept is inspired by a conversation posted online of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.

“People have been screenshotting texts and posting them on the web for years, but it was this Instagram pic Taylor Swift posted of a conversation with Ed Sheeran that pushed me toward Talkshow,” he said.

The app supports more than just text. You can add photos, emoji, and GIFs. To start a show, you pick a co-host and start typing. Viewers who tune in can react with messages and even request to become a co-host. In keeping with the app's more civil-minded approach, you can ban people from following your account and viewing your shows. You can also boot people from co-host positions if they become abusive or detract from the conversation.

Sippey also wants Talkshow chats to be shareable outside the app. Every show has a permalink on the web for viewing later, and they can also be embedded in websites just like tweet threads.