Launching social media "intelligent alternative"

An entrepreneur who has spent most of his life in Newark is launching a new website he says could rival Twitter and Reddit.

Qutee is pitched as an intelligent alternative to other social media platforms.

Comments left by users are archived and can be easily searched and ordered, while there are poll options and analytics for each conversation.

Qutee is the brainchild of Mr Tim Wilson, a native of the town and former Magnus School pupil, who now divides his time between the UK and the US.

“We are more connected with online communities because people are not getting what they need from social media,” he said.

“Comments online are an issue that needed solving — I was talking to a colleague at CNN and they mentioned that even if you put up a story of a fireman rescuing some puppies, it turns to talk about Donald Trump by the third comment.

“Qutee is about having more altruistic conversations and driving intelligent discussions. Within two or three clicks you can filter the comments you want.

“This data can empower communities because they can point to information that might contradict what a company or an organisation is saying.

“I find that the vocal majority swamp the minority.

“It’s interesting that we are bringing Qutee out now, given the rise in fake news that can warp people’s opinions.

“This is something we have been working on for the last four years.

“We can all get drawn in to filter bubbles and echo chamber, but what was interesting about the Brexit debate, for example, was that there were comments on stories that were more insightful than those of the commentators — but they got pushed down the list and ‘died’.”

One of the areas that Mr Wilson, who is founder and chief executive of Qutee, has focused on is giving more information to influencers — people on social media who are influential to a particular area of interest or genre.

“What we want to do is pick people out and make them the influencers,” he said.

“We have focused a lot on gaming so far and the insights that people get are incredible.

“What we are doing is about data democracy too — so that brands have access to what people are saying online.”

While in Newark, the 49-year-old spent considerable time as a musician, appearing at the Newark Blues Festival in 2010 under the name Wilson T King.

“It’s my home and I still spend time coming back to visit,” he said.

The site is at www.qutee.com