JAYFORCE

Courtesy: Bloomberg TV

You know that pic you wished you had not sent? You know… that picture. Well, if you used the Snapchat app, it’s like you didn’t. People using the app send messages, pictures, and even video that quickly disappear, so there’s no pressure to look cool… or worrying that the receiver will have permanent “dirt” on you (think: angry ex with that nude Valentine’s Day pic you sent). If someone cheats and tries to take a screenshot of your snap to keep, the app notifies you. And in the realm of Snapchat, getting caught trying to beat… er… the system by capturing a screen image of what was sent is taboo. Of course, folks have started to figure out ways to save images without getting caught; so if you choose to use the free app, use care.

READ THE FULL BUSINESSWEEK WRITE-UP ON SNAPCHAT HERE.

– @ojones1

Snapchat is currently a big enough idea to draw some major Internet players; but still small enough to not have been bought or taken public for big dollars just yet. But we know the deal: Inventors Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy (Stanford schoolmates and Kappa Sigma frat brothers) have stopped taking calls on Snapchat for now… even from Businessweek… Something big is probably on the horizon (hopefully more money, without more problems). The driver for Snapchat’s success: Sex. Sex sells. It always has! The first promotional images featured hot women with sly smiles. Since the dawn of photographic media, folks have been looking to share erotic media. A second driver: PRIVATE communication. Be it porn, near porn, or just-between-us messages… humans have NEEDED to be sure that certain conversations are kept secret (preferably destroyed after the receiver understands them). Snapchat’s success hinges on both: continuing success on trends of people sharing explicit material and their need for privacy.