I’m not going to lie, I was Friendster for Halloween. It started out as a concept costume, but a friend and I ended up dressed like your stereotypical friendsters (mesh backed hats declaring what great grandpas we are, aviator sunglasses, chucks, headphone cords disappearing into pockets to simulate the iPods we don’t have) and wore shirts with the website’s logo on them. We walked around all night tied together by a piece of yarn with a card that said “You are Katie B’s friend” on one side and “You are Katey’s friend” on the other, writing testimonials on index cards and duct taping them to people, and having them taped to us by slightly intoxicated pals, random acquaintances, and naked strangers.
Several things about this experience were a little odd. One, almost everyone understood what we were. I don’t even want to know what that says about us as a whole. Two, at the end of the night, as we peeled almost 30 testimonials from our costumes, we realized that we were only friendsters with about 5 of them. If the definition of a friendster is someone with whom you are friends (right?!), the other 22 belonged to other categories altogether. What were they to us,and how did they end up duct taped to our bodies? The Ampersand has some ideas.
ACQUAINTANCESTER
Reason for existing:
“Only add this person if they are really your friend.” But are they? Well, you’ve met them a few times. And you say hi in the Campus Center. On the other hand, you don’t actually remember anything other than a first name, and that only if you’re lucky. Still, turning down the friendster offer would be rude. This site gives you an easy way out.
Sample Testimonial:
“Hey, I met Lauren in social psych class. She sits two rows down from me. She eats bagels in the campus center most mornings, and seems like a generally nice person. Oh, and she’s pretty cute, but not really my type. Lauren, do you remember what the assigned reading was?”
DRUNKSTER
Reason for existing:
Closely related to drunkmakeoutster, hookupster, and friendswhiledrunkatpartieswhodontacknowledgeeachotherduringdaylighthourster, drunkster is for friends you made while your wits weren’t about you. You might not actually speak to them after that, but you know. You staggered around camous together having loud conversations about nothing, flirting and probably making out. You’ve gotta drunkster them.
Sample testimonial:
“LOL remember that time we were so wasted at beta? That was totally jawesome. U R cute, we should hang out again next weekend, y’know, when we’re both intoxicated.”
iTUNESTER
Reason for Existing:
What could be more compelling than creating a personal network based completely on shared taste in iTunes? No need to know anyone. If their music is cool, they must be cool, and that means you need to associate yourself with them through the internet. Coming soon: www.itunestermatch.com, the online matching service that rates your compatibility with other people’s playlists. Because who wants to date someone who listens to crappy music?
Sample Testimonial:
“My 34 gigs of Music is Not Compensation! has the best music I have ever seen! I don’t care if the owner of this computer is a three legged cow from outer space; I will drop my pants for them on the spot. I deleted all my mp3s because they couldn’t compare to the coolness of this computer. Oh my god! What’s happening? They just logged off? I think I’m going to jump out my window! I’m falling out right now! I’m on my way down! Wireless networking is so amaziiiiiiiiiiiiing! Aslkdjg;aslkdgjkgjasdl;kggdkfsdjfkj”
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