Just over a year ago a new social network launched that aimed to be simple. You take pictures of where you are and it shows them to your friends. Called Path, the service had a minimalist iPhone app used to take and share pictures and moments. It was supposed to be intimate, as opposed to the massively public social networks of Facebook and Twitter. A space for just you and your closest friends. And it failed.

But now Path is back for round two with a bigger, better mobile application that not only runs on the iPhone, but on Android devices too. The new Path goes beyond pictures and allows people to share their location, thoughts, with whom they are, what they’re listening to and when they go to bed or wake up.

The improved Path has raked up almost 500 000 users in less than a month and raised $2.5m in funding. My experience with it can be described as fun.

First, Path limits the number of friends you can have on the system to 150 – I suspect this is based on Dunbar’s number, which is supposed to be the optimal size for human organisational structures, based on our evolution in troops. Or something.

Let’s just call it a ploy for intimacy. Unlike in Facebook where most people accept every friend request they receive – because it’s cool to have lots of friends – or Twitter where random individuals just follow you around like Forrest Gump on a long run, Path forces you to be selective. Very selective.

Because of this, it’s the perfect place to voice your opinion or swear like a trooper without public reprisal.

I have a couple of Twitter followers, and I’ve learned the hard way to watch what I say. I’m certainly not going to show them too many pictures of my kids or tell them how I really feel about their religion. That would be bad for business. And my kids.

But on Path I can do those things. I can call people horrible names behind their backs and publicise where I live. Even telling people when I’m going to sleep in this setting seems to make sense – since my close friends will know not to call me then.

Path’s photography tools are also really nice with a range of filters that make it look like you took pics on a crappy old camera from the Seventies and stuff. And it integrates with Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare – so if you really want to break out of your little fortress of solitary confinement, you can.

Path isn’t for everyone. Some of my friends left the network almost immediately after joining, amid some rude comments about over-sharing. But the rest of us are enjoying speaking our minds and sharing pictures of inanity. Why not?

Verdict: Path is social networking for the recluse.

Complexity: A beautiful interface makes it a pleasure to use.

Price: Free

Also consider: Visiting your friends in “real” life.

Value rating: 8/10