--- title: "Secret Dens: Chat With Your Co-Workers, Anonymously" id: "23598" type: "post" slug: "secret-dens-chat-with-your-co-workers-anonymously" published_at: "2014-06-11T16:59:43+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T18:24:34+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/06/11/secret-dens-chat-with-your-co-workers-anonymously/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/06/11/secret-dens-chat-with-your-co-workers-anonymously.md" excerpt: "Privacy-minded social network Secret wants to bring its approach to the workplace. Also: why you should go all-in on your first-year member-conversion efforts." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "labor organization" - "Member Engagement" - "member retention" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Secret Dens: Chat With Your Co-Workers, Anonymously Psst … can you keep a secret? Of course not, especially in an office. Too often, there’s a back channel of Google Hangouts, emails, Facebook posts, iChat windows, and tweets that set the tone for how people *really* feel at work. Anonymity-focused social network [Secret (opens in a new tab)](https://www.secret.ly/) wants to own that back channel. The company, which has drawn attention [for its role in Silicon Valley’s rumor mill (opens in a new tab)](http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/06/that-secret-app-is-becoming-silicon-valleys-new-blind-item/) , appears ready to bring that approach to companies big and small with the launch of its new Secret Dens platform. Secret works because it identifies people with symbols, not faces. You don’t know who’s talking—you just know whether the person is a friend, a friend of a friend, or a stranger who’s posted something popular. Clearly, that feature can be used for good or evil, and opinions are mixed on Secret’s virtues and vices. The anonymity can get people to open up—or can give them the freedom to [rip on their coworkers (opens in a new tab)](http://recode.net/2014/03/15/prominent-github-engineer-julie-ann-horvath-quits-claiming-gender-based-harassment/) . “The magic of Secret was created by applying anonymity to your network,” the company states in a Medium post. “This combination creates genuine conversations that you wouldn’t have anywhere else online, and the result has inspired us to let you bring this experience to more of your networks, beyond only people in your contacts.” Much like the social network itself, Secret Dens is starting small, with only a few companies thus far. If this approach appeals to you, [hop onto Medium to find out how you can get an invite (opens in a new tab)](https://medium.com/secret-den/introducing-secret-dens-633647edaf4) . If not, there’s always the chat box in Gmail. ### The First Year Matters > Five Great Membership Retention Strategies [http://t.co/L9F9QYpBzE (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/L9F9QYpBzE) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#membership (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/membership?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#associations (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/associations?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#nfp (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/nfp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Silverbear (@SilverbearLtd) [June 10, 2014 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/SilverbearLtd/status/476388453245284353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Want your members to stick around?** Make sure you give them the care they need early on—or you might lose them come renewal time. That’s according to Silverbear, a membership services provider, which recommends that associations “focus on the first year” in their member communication strategies. “It’s been well documented that if you can keep a member for more than a year, then the chances of subsequent renewals increase … . This is why the first year is called the ‘conversion year,’” the company writes. “Tailor your communication to target these new members specifically and make sure they’re as engaged with your organization as possible.” [Read more tips on member retention over this way (opens in a new tab)](http://www.silverbear.com/Insight/Blog/TopMembershipRetentionStrategies.aspx) . *(ht @[SilverbearLtd (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/SilverbearLtd/) )* ### Other good reads **If you run a charitable nonprofit** and you need cloud storage services, you may want to take [a good, hard look at Box’s new program (opens in a new tab)](http://box.org/) targeting organizations like yours. [SocialFish has more (opens in a new tab)](http://www.socialfish.org/2014/06/box-org-announces-nonprofit-program.html) . ***Inc.com*‘s Jeff Haden** says there’s a line of conversation that points out a superstar interview candidate. [It involves a little reverse psychology (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/one-interview-question-that-reveals-a-superstar-job-candidate.html) . **Nonprofit communications expert** Kivi Leroux Miller says donor surveys are valuable—[but there are a few questions you should definitely avoid (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2014/06/10/what-questions-do-you-include-in-donor-surveys/) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#labor organization](https://associationsnow.com/tag/labor-organization/) [#Member Engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-engagement/) [#member retention](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-retention/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [ArticleSmart Moves: How AI Is Shaping the Future of AssociationsMarch 18, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/03/18/smart-moves-how-ai-is-shaping-the-future-of-associations/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [ArticleStart Strong: Five Onboarding Strategies to Set Your New Members Up for SuccessJune 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/03/start-strong-five-onboarding-strategies-to-set-your-new-members-up-for-success/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2014%2F06%2F11%2Fsecret-dens-chat-with-your-co-workers-anonymously%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !