This week has been all about the proposed changes to Instagram and how the service might look in the future. users of IG have been long used to a chronological feed when they log on, and the suggestions that this will change has sparked much discussion and debate.

I use IG for both social and business reasons and as such I can see both sides of the argument. As someone who uses IG to support and grow their business, I expect to earn money via IG and therefore have no problem with IG wanting to do the same. They are a business after all. The ability to be better able to target or direct posts is attractive, as it the potential to reach and connect with more potential customers.

One of the issues seems to be that many IG users are there, at least in part because they dislike algoryhtmn driven Facebook feeds. They resent "being shown what they like" and like the pure, simplicity which IG has offered up until now. This is a concern to me. If my potential customers are unhappy with (and consider leaving) a particular platform then I may have to seriously rethink my IG usage.

A much talked about IG alternative is Ello. It is early days with this site which is only available as a web based browser or for i-phones but I have joined up, along with a lot of other Ravelry folk and am happily exploring it.

I am LouiseTilbrookDesigns there too - yes, original I know :)

There are some functions of Ello which IG doesn't have - the ability to quickly repost an image for example, although the non-square picture format takes some getting used to.

For now, IG remains my favourite social media site and I don't necessarily think the proposed changes will have much of an impact on me, but it will be exciting to see how this new platform develops.

Do pop over and take a look - I'd be interested to know what you think.