Reallyreadit
We are on a mission to get people reading on the internet.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
N/A | Convertible | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Readup.org, operated by reallyread.it, inc., is a social reading platform designed for individuals who wish to engage with web articles in a focused environment. The platform was co-founded by Bill Loundy and Jeff Camera in 2016. The core service strips away advertisements and other clutter from articles, presenting a clean, readable text. It uniquely tracks reading progress, encouraging users to finish articles completely before they are permitted to join the discussion, a feature intended to foster more civilized and informed conversations.
The platform operates as a free, open-source project supported by donations and maintained by a team of volunteers. Initially, the business model explored a subscription-based, two-sided marketplace where a percentage of reader subscriptions would be paid directly to the writers of the content they consumed. This model aimed to compensate writers for their work every time an article was read on the platform. However, the business ran out of funds at the end of 2021, shifting to a volunteer-driven, open-source effort. Co-founder Jeff Camera hosts the infrastructure, and the project's development and budget are managed transparently on Open Collective.
Readup offers a curated selection of high-quality articles and allows users to import content from across the web. A key feature is the "Article of the Day," which highlights the most-read and well-regarded articles among the user community. The service is accessible via iOS and macOS apps, as well as browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. While an Android app has been in development, it is not currently available. The platform's commitment to user experience is also reflected in its privacy policy, which was rewritten to emphasize user dignity and data protection.
Keywords: social reading, article reader, ad-free reading, deep reading, online discussion, content curation, open-source software, reader community, digital literacy, mindful consumption, web article importer, Article of the Day, Readup.org, reallyread.it, Bill Loundy, Jeff Camera, online reading tool, distraction-free, reading community, writer compensation