| New UK Service That Matches People Via Mobile Phone
In addition to the basic service YourMyCrush.com will soon be expanding to include an online store, dating tips, an advice forum and other customisable areas for users to make use of with their mobile phones. The service is presently limited to UK mobile phone networks but will shortly be providing access to other countries in Europe and the rest of the world. Overall, this is a simple idea, executed cleanly, providing a very helpful and (so far) very successful new mobile match making system. The key demographic is young teens and the "school youth" area, however the site has seen a number of 'older' people use the system successfully too. At the end of the day you are only as old as you feel. About YourMyCrush.com: http://YourMyCrush.com is a mobile content provider and unique mobile service provider for the United Kingdom.
Disaboom gathers disabled for frank online discussion
There's a new online gathering place where revealing that you use a wheelchair or can't hear is no big deal, because the person you're chatting with probably lives a similar experience. Disaboom.com -- so named because the creator wanted to "blow the doors off" stereotypes -- is a website for the disabled community that combines lifestyle and medical information, discussion boards, social networking, a career centre and a dating site. It lays claim to being the first for-profit online destination for people with disabilities, which translates to a slick, sophisticated space with plenty of resources. .
'You scope 'em out'
Women also are going online to find moms who match their personality and interests, much like singles use an online dating service. "You scope 'em out," says Magalie Belanger, 31, about prospective mommy-friends in Helena. "You see how they deal with their children, and with yours." It's like dating, but the dates are with other moms and their children. While the kids play, hopefully without tantrums or biting, the moms are free to talk about the things they have in common, from the lofty subjects of religion and politics to the more practical topics of teething and diaper rash. "Women, they want someone else who is going through the same thing," says Drury Sherrod, a Los Angeles social psychologist who studies friendship. Often, that can mean seeking out other women in the same trimester of pregnancy or whose children are similar in age, he says.
SPIEGEL INTERVIEW WITH THE CO-FOUNDERS OF MYSPACE
Anderson: In person I don't have that many friends. I'm a pretty tight-knit guy with the people that I know. Offline, I have no more than four or five friends. SPIEGEL: That doesn't seem to bother your online acquaintances. They comment on your private pictures and leave public messages like "maybe we can hook up later" on your profile. How has becoming an online celebrity as the founder of such a successful company changed your life? Anderson: When I'm on the net, someone always wants to chat with me. But outside of MySpace, it's a completely different world. I don't get recognized that much on the street. SPIEGEL: How did you guys meet? Anderson: I had a temporary job in a product testing company right after college. I only planned to be there for 3 weeks.
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