Online networking has a major flaw – there are so many platforms designed to cover so many angles that it’s become impossible to tell who someone really is. We’ve each been turned into a fractured mess of profiles, brands, interests and aspirations that no longer add up into a coherent picture.
We use existing networks because we know we need them to connect with one another, but, truth be told, we’re not satisfied with any of them.
Haltbox looks to stop the madness. Yes, it is another networking platform, but one that aims to mix, improve, and edit features of its predecessors so that we can all enjoy a network more fit for our modern needs.
Here’s how the company pitches itself:
“Haltbox is a custom-designed web & mobile platform where you can create a multi-media rich online profile to showcase your career, lifestyle, personality and work/life related experiences. Created with profile settings to allow you to protect your privacy better, Haltbox sets the precedent for a social media generation increasingly aware that an online profile is the equivalent of that individual’s personal brand.”
So, what exactly does this give us? For starters, a space that understands the importance of clean and attractive visual design. A combination of video resumes and photos give others a better sense of the real person behind a profile.
As a refreshing throwback to before the internet came along, Haltbox blends social and professional components rather than keep them entirely separate. This will go a long way toward ending the schizophrenia that results from rotating between LinkedIn and Facebook and Google + and a zillion other places to tell other our stories.
Aimed at helping people to connect, finding career opportunities, landing interviews and employment, easy communication is also at the heart of the platform. Without downloads or installs or the need to integrate five more tools, Haltbox offers chat, video chat, instant messaging, and voice calling. Free.
Haltbox account holders can call one another from anywhere in the world free of charge. They also enjoy unlimited texting. What’s more, Haltbox lets individuals communicate as they like, whether they’re using a mobile device or a computer.
In a weird twist of irony — because it does so much by uniting so many tools and aspects of our behavior — the startup faces the challenge of creating a firm identity for Haltbox. We’ve grown so accustomed to the hyper-specificity of online products that it takes a second longer to recognize the value of a tool that does a great deal without fuss.
Social network, professional network, job postings, recruiting, communication tool, file sharing service, contact management… Haltbox wants to be a touch of everything so that we don’t need an obscene number of services and accounts to handle our online presence.
If you’re hungry for a better, less maddening way to project yourself – network, interact, advance your career – be sure to check out Haltbox at haltbox.com.
