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Christine Whitney

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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 27, 2009 at 11:45 PM



Remember the days before MySpace, Facebook, and the like, when online social networking was considered kind of odd? Now that everyone from kindergartners to grandmas have online profiles, these Web sites are officially part of our reality. Obviously, MySpace and Facebook aren't for everyone, so where can you go for your online mingling? As it turns out, there are Web communities that cater to almost every imaginable interest, from film to pets to knitting and so on. We've collected a whole world of options for those of you looking for a place want to meet people that are more like you, and not like the weirdos you'll find on Hoffspace. Click through to see our full list.
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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:47 PM



Geni

Who it's For: Families, amateur historians, class projects

What We Like: We've been unnervingly interested in the age-old tradition of the family tree as of late. And conveniently, there's Geni, a site that mixes the old-school family tree with the Internet. It's sort of a collaborative work: Register and start building your tree until you can go no further back in the family history. When you reach a dead end, you e-mail other members of your family to fill in the blanks. Maybe you'll finally meet some famous and wealthy relatives! Also good: The privacy policy is airtight, so your tree can only be seen by family members who you invite to the party. As for e-mail, Geni promises that it is "never shared, never spammed." Really, it's just a matter of getting your elder relatives an e-mail account, if they know what that even means.
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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:46 PM



Snooth

Who it's for: Friendly oenophiles.

What we like: A social network with a very specific focus, Snooth unites people with an interest in wine, from amateurs to experts. Members can review wines, compile lists of their faves, and learn through forums about the finer points of wine drinking. The biggest wine database on the Web, Snooth offers info on vineyards, varietals, and how to score the best wines for your budget, and even generates wine recommendations especially for you. The assessment scale that lets you compare price and user rating is great for weighing your options and experienced drinkers are on hand to guide wine ingénues. The only downside is that the default setting signs you up for e-mail from 3rd party vendors. Uncheck the "Yes, I would like to receive email from relevant Snooth partners" box in "account settings" to avoid inbox bombardment.
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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:44 PM



Funny or Die

Who It's For: SNL Fans, comedians, anyone bored and not easily offended

What We Like: Another successful celebworking site, Funny or Die is a fun project created by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay where professional and amateur users submit and rate humorous videos. Users determine the fate of the videos: the funny stay and the unfunny die and are sent to the "crypt." Exclusive vids from big name comics are also posted to the site, as are celebrity collabs orchestrated by the Funny or Die team, including the classics "The Landlord" and "Prop 8 - The Musical." As an added bonus, the search features divide videos into "safe for work" and "not safe for work," to help you stay employed. How thoughtful!
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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:42 PM



DanceJam

Who it's for: Poppers & Lockers, Krumpers, owners of Hammer pants, anyone who dances in front of their mirror.

What we like: What's not to like? This social networking site blew our minds. Usually celebrity social networking endeavors are unnecessary and nerdy, but MC Hammer has really outdone himself with this one! DanceJam lets users create profiles and then upload videos of themselves busting moves. They can enter their videos in DanceJam Dance-offs and give each other feedback. Users also vote for their favorite videos and determine the fate of fellow dancers, including the site's great braino MC Hammer, who was pitted against his own son in a contest. In another cool feature, the videos link to related clips and original dance videos by established artists. Many of the DanceJam's users are really talented and fun to watch and their videos are endearingly homemade and lo-fi: You can often see dancers' bedroom furniture or kitchens in the background while they get down. For a fun and informative time, you can't touch this.

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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:40 PM



Dogster

Who it's for: Spike, Buddy, and Chopmer. People who think 'Best In Show' is a documentary.

What we like: Since many dog owners treat their pets like people, why shouldn't pooches get their own profiles? On Dogster, owners create pages for their companions, uploading pictures, video, and stories. Then, they can connect with "Pup Pals" and the dog's family members. Other than pretending to be their pets, members can read advice blogs, find local pet resources, and, browse the profiles by breed, site favorites, and, of course, "puppies only." Adoption of orphaned animals is also encouraged and facilitated on the site. If you're not a dog owner, there's also Catster, AnAmigo, which features a bit of variety, and Hamsterster. Or, if you're looking for some pet owner love, there's dating site PetPeopleMeet.

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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:35 PM



Yelp

Who it's for: People who read reviews, don't trust guidebooks, and have opinions.

What we like: Yelp's conceit is the review -- users write about their local haunts, from bars and boutiques to laundromats and grocery stores. Their assessments then become part of Yelp's arsenal so other browsers can access them and learn about spots to check out or avoid. Members can add friends whose opinions they trust, learn about their faves, and chat with each other. Yelp also features popular events by week and allows users to see who plans to attend them. Like a personalized 'Not For Tourists' guide to everything, Yelp has often steered us to the right places in our home town and beyond. If you have an iPhone, be sure to download the free location-based app that uses the handset's GPS to literally tell you what's cool around you.
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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:27 PM


Bakespace

Who it's for: Cooks of all ages, nice grannies.

What we like: Founded by a cute girl named Babette who wants to make friends and share recipes on the Internet, Bakespace allows users to upload their favorite recipes. Bakers can view the "pantries" -- more or less online recipe boxes -- of other users while swapping tips and faves, browse recipes in a number of categories, and friend other chefs du jour whose recipes they like. It's like a down-home version of Epicurious, where the source isn't Bon Appetit and but Lynette from Chattanooga. Populated mostly by women, this site is recommended for those who want to swap quiche recipes and chat about egg substitutions without getting perved on by lecherous Internet lurkers.
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21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:19 PM
Going!

Who it's for: Urban youth who like to go out and do stuff

What we like: Like Outdoorzy.com, this network encourages you to get off the computer and get outside, only in urban areas rather than the woods. User friendly and easy to navigate, Going has listings for a slew of U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. The premise is simple: You create a profile involving your basic interests à la Facebook (bday, fave movies, books, whatever) upload photos (or not), and state your intentions (looking for bros, dating, boozing). Then it gets cool. You get to choose your favorite hangouts and access a comprehensive calendar of upcoming social events in your area. You can add events you plan to attend, see who else is going, invite your bffs, and RSVP to select soirees. Once the site gets an idea of your style, it recommends events for you, and you can check on who else is going. It just might help to get some of your friends on it first if you're not that into meeting strangers.
4 comments

21 Places to Go When You're Sick of Facebook

by Christine Whitney on February 26, 2009 at 02:05 PM


Twitter

Who it's for: People on the run, lovers of brevity

What We Like: Do you wish you could keep up with your friends without them droning on and on in e-mails or IMs? Twitter gives you that ability, as well as bringing you updates from celebrities, your favorite blogs, or any other user you sign up to "follow." Brevity is key, as posts, aka Tweets, are only 140 characters long at most and basically act like Facebook's status updates. You can update via text message and there's no emphasis on posting pictures or personal information, so it feels a little less stalker-friendly. Then there's always the chance you'll hear about a breaking news story, like the guy who Twittered from the plane that crashed into the Hudson. Talk about excitement!

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Were the Brangelina Baby Pics Photoshopped?

by Christine Whitney on August 5, 2008 at 04:11 PM

We are so over two things right now. One is the discussion of how much People Magazine paid for the Pitt-Jolie-clan cover shot (more than $14 mil, in case you managed not to hear). The other is the constant analysis of Photoshop intervention in magazine covers. Now a few articles that cover our two least favorite things are making the rounds of the Web. Said articles speculate that MAYBE the ... Read more »
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'Generation Kill' Dreamboat Kellan Lutz Talks Cell Phones

by Christine Whitney on August 5, 2008 at 12:04 PM

Kellan Lutz, object of adolescent girls' desire and actor in multiple teen moo-vies, is about to get some street cred. The 19-year-old North Dakota native can be seen on the awesome HBO miniseries 'Generation Kill,' the latest project by the creators of our longtime addiction 'The Wire.' Boy's been busy breaking the hearts of middle American youths and shooting the CW's new 90210, but he still ... Read more »
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Pineapple Express' Gary Cole Has Simple Tastes, and a Drum Kit

by Christine Whitney on August 4, 2008 at 12:25 PM

Gary Cole's been in a bazillion movies and TV shows and has played all kinda roles. Lately he's busied himself with the much-anticipated stoner comedy 'Pineapple Express', which opens this Wednesday nationwide. Though we remember him best as Katherine's creepy ex on 'Desperate Housewives', we just interviewed him about his gadget-usage and he seems like a really nice guy! He even gave his old ... Read more »
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Switched Questionnaire: Robert Englund (aka Freddy Krueger)

by Christine Whitney on August 2, 2008 at 12:28 PM

We know Robert Englund mostly as the scary guy that traumatized us throughout early childhood in the legendary Freddy Krueger movies. Dude usually gets typecast in creepy horror flicks (keep an eye out for 'Zombie Strippers', coming soon to your mall cineplex!) but he's about to expand his repertoire in 'Red,' a serious small-town drama about a misanthropic war vet whose dog is killed by local ... Read more »
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Whaaa? Freddy Krueger Is a Mac & LG Kind of Man

by Christine Whitney on July 31, 2008 at 07:01 PM

We know Robert Englund mostly as the scary guy that traumatized us throughout early childhood in the legendary Freddy Krueger movies. Dude usually gets typecast in creepy horror flicks (keep an eye out for 'Zombie Strippers', coming soon to your mall cineplex!) but he's about to expand his repertoire in 'Red,' a serious small-town drama about a misanthropic war vet whose dog is killed by local ... Read more »
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