In March, 2014, the world was gripped by a new, invite-only social networking site called Ello. Ello was markedly different to the competition, as the site emphasized the need for user privacy, and said it would thrive without using the tried-and-tested advertising-supported revenue model. At its peak, it saw between 31,000 to 45,000 sign-ups each hour, and often experienced periods of downtime as its servers struggled to cope.