We’ve heard it often this year – stories of social networks like Facebook and Twitter censoring or silencing speech from the right. It can be easy to think that conservative voices aren’t getting a fair shake on social media. But what’s a conservative to do?
It was only a matter of time before someone on the right came up with a decent alternative. Texas-based Cody Brown launched Codias on Monday – a network dedicated to “equip[ping] conservatives for modern warfare.”
“There’s been a historic divide between technology and politics, particularly for the conservative movement,” he says. “We hope our platform will begin to fill this void.”
Codias advertises a “revolution in your hands.” “Tired of losing the culture?” the website asks on its homepage. “We equip conservatives for modern political warfare.” For Brown, “it’s a means for conservatives to find and communicate with each other and mobilize each other to achieve common objectives, and really for the first time.”
Codias, which Brown has been developing for the last three years, sprang from his own in-the-trenches political experience. In 2010, having recently left a position at the Project on National Security Reform, he signed on to manage the (ultimately unsuccessful) congressional campaign of Republican Ben Lange in Iowa. For Brown, the problem was figuring out where to start: “How do I find fellow conservative citizens and activists? Where do I find our base of support? There was nowhere to turn.”
Codias attempts to fill the void for conservative activists, campaigns, and other warriors to band together, share information, and build support. The site design is elegant and beautiful and includes platforms to publish messages to one’s own network (called a “coalition” in Codias parlance) or articles (“intelligence”) for everyone. Codias even boasts of a level of security and protection that none of the other social networks provide.
The folks at Codias dedicate the site to God, and the site’s statement of beliefs eloquently expresses a Judeo-Christian view of freedom. Codias dedicates itself to freedom, privacy, and security.
One of the most intriguing features that Codias offers is a set of tools for campaigns.
But for campaigns and other groups, Codias can be a resource to build a network of supporters and volunteers — and securely, thanks to advanced encryption technology. The site has a “wide variety of applications,” says Brown, and “from a campaign standpoint, it adds a lot of value.”
The Codias team is also working on other technologies that Brown expects “will break other historic ground for conservatives in the coming days.”
I’ve given Codias a test drive myself, and here are my first impressions:
For starters, I had a tough time setting my profile up. I don’t know if it was opening day jitters on the part of the site, an overwhelming response on Monday, or other problems, but it took me until Tuesday to get set up.
Once I was set up, it became abundantly clear to me that Codias is no ordinary social network. I don’t see recipe sharing, photos of vacations, or boards of ideas for fall decor. No, Codias tilts heavily toward politics and right-of-center culture.
The Intelligence page is packed with articles, and most of the ones I glanced at were well thought out and decently written. A few of them were not so impressive – especially the one that tried to parody the “Paul is dead” myth involving Hillary Clinton and a bad photoshop of the Abbey Road cover.
I have yet to find anyone I know on the network, but it’s early in the game, so I’ve not given up hope. I did invite Cody Brown and someone I presume is Red Eye’s Tom Shillue to join my coalition – fingers crossed!
So, is Codias for everyone? It’s not going to replace Facebook or Twitter – at least not yet. I get the impression that the network will retain its heavy ideological bent for at least the first couple of years of its life.
I have a feeling that Codias will become more useful to me and other everyday folks as more people get involved in it. I liken it to when I first signed up for Twitter – it took me a while to get the hang of it and truly appreciate its value. But in the long run, I have no doubt that as Codias finds it footing and gains it following, it stands to be a powerful tool for conservatives.
Check it out for yourself, and let me know what you think!
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