But that blot contains within it a pretty obvious potential to be viewed as a bat though, doesn't it? If it was say, a square with a smaller square inside it, then it's unlikly anyone would interpret it as a bat. I understand the purpose of a Rorschach test (dubious as it may be), and I get the point being made by the OP. But my point is that I have backed App.net because it looks enough like it has the potential to become something useful to me, in a number of ways. I don't feel that there's a bait and switch going on here or that I have been otherwise swindled in some way. And I'm pretty cynical most of the time.
Free but ad supported isn't the only way online, but one could be forgiven for thinking it is. I am happy to encourage anyone trying alternatives. I want to see what social services that don't need to cater to advertisers look like, and this is one such model. I wonder why some people appear quite threatened by such.
Time will tell if the service turns out to be a bat or not. I approach with few preconceptions, I'm happy to wait it out for a while and give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Seems to me he's doing OK so far.