HN Explorer

Show HN: Weave – Talk Anonymously with Friends (hiweave.com)

3 points by mschoeffler ↗ HN
A few months ago, Dalton & Michael explained how we can damage ourselves using social media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMW_33zyTK4 Michael put it this way, "We're living in a world where you need to be careful with your thoughts".

Social media can be like a minefield—people hold back or get defensive, even with friends, because of fear of judgment or backlash. We wanted to create a platform where you can speak openly about important things without damaging relationships.

Weave lets you start conversations with friends under an alias. Over time, as you build mutual respect and trust, you can choose to reveal your identity. It’s about creating a safe space for honesty, whether you’re talking politics, personal challenges, or just sharing ideas.

Key features:

- Anonymity that evolves: Start conversations anonymously and reveal your identity when ready.

- Respect: Respecting comments moves you towards mutual respect and revealing identities.

- Real friendships: Encourage respect and understanding, not shouting matches or echo chambers.

- Built-in boundaries: A safe environment where your words aren’t tied to your public profile—unless you want them to be.

We’re in early stages and would love your feedback. Does this idea resonate with you? Are there risks we should address or features you’d like to see?

Thanks so much for your time and insights. We’re excited to hear your thoughts!

— Mike Schoeffler, Founder

6 comments

[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 24.7 ms ] thread
jbarrettcapone
This is great a social networking platform that actually has a unique usability twist!

This form of gradually gaining trust to learn ones real identity feels like a part of real life that is missing online. So many more of my interactions in real life are some form of anonymous or vague idea of who someone is. Those interactions don't come with a dossier of their interactions with others for me to browse or judge them on. This feels closer to that.

It will be very interesting to see how people take to this.

greyface-
Interesting idea. I was ready to sign up, but stopped at "real names only" on the sign-up form. Why can't I choose to reveal my identity to Weave later, once ready, or never?
mschoeffler
Hi Greyface -

We need to keep user identities safe from exposure. One attack we're preventing: people targeting a particular person by posing as a friend. Part of the defense is making sure people are using real names (when needed, we'll back up this policy with authentication).

Glad you said something - I really want to know where the frictions are.

greyface-
Fair enough. I've been through enough rounds of "real names" social networks at this point to make it a hard line. I'm likely an outlier in this respect, and my segment might be small enough that you're still able to scale. Good luck!
mschoeffler
Sorry to hear, but I appreciate the feedback.

I get the wariness thing. The anon functionality is pretty different from what people have seen before and it might take a little time for people to get comfortable. Especially weird when we're saying using real names protects your identity more.

I'll see if there's some wording change on the signup page that can help the next guy get over this hump.

vjulian
Real names make this a non-starter for me, but I love the concept.

Note: “Weave lets you start conversations with friends under an alias.” I took this to mean users are expected to connect with friends who are also on the platform, and anonymous discussions arise only within or some specified distance from the user’s friend network.