Just yesterday I published my first Dear Dalton … and so much seems to be happening. I wish I could write you a “wow, great job” … I really do … but this isn’t that.
You are taking a familiar path instead of a path you should be taking.
The screenshots you posted tell me you have skipped designing both a platform and a product … you are creating just another Twitter. The problem with Twitter is not in its web-client … but you know that because you are copying it.
The problem with Twitter is its social/business ecology … and yours is not elaborate enough to make a difference. At $50 a year you are going to keep many people out (I probably won’t be there). You are essentially creating a walled-garden version of Twitter. You will not be able to challenge Twitter to become a “dial tone of the internet” … you will be a “dial tone” for those who can afford to pay $50 a year. You will put yourself in direct feature-competition with Twitter … a competition you will be hard-pressed to win.
You are using Twitter’s open-source library … and still don’t see how important it is that the platform be open-source? Karma is screaming in your face!
You are being impulsive and taking wrong steps.
Most important though is that my interest is waning … and that bums me out.
I can only wish you well and hope my instincts are wrong (me energy has been very volatile these recent weeks … but my instincts seem to be intact).
I think I’ll go and check what is happening with that other project that lost its way