Online sites offer potential hook-ups, new friendships

Online sites such as Facebook.com and MySpace.com offer students the opportunity to stay in contact with college friends, meet new friends and become reacquainted with old friends. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MELISSA GAUG | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: Carl Schierhorn

These days, a new companion or potential soul mate is just a mouse-click away.

While college students try to keep in touch with old friends or establish new acquaintances, sites such as MySpace.com and Facebook.com are growing in popularity.

According to Facebook.com, “Facebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at schools.” The site also lists possible uses of Facebook, such as looking up people at your school, in your classes and groups or simply finding out how students know one another.

Diandra Leonardi, freshman magazine journalism major, uses Facebook as a form of entertainment.

“I don’t really have a purpose for using it – just to waste time, I guess!” Leonardi said.

Leonardi also said she finds it amusing looking at other people’s photos. She said she likes Facebook because it allows her to connect with others involved in the same classes or organizations.

“It’s always kind of interesting when you receive a friend request from someone you haven’t seen since third grade or something,” Leonardi said.

As said on MySpace.com, “MySpace is an online community that lets you meet your friends’ friends.” The site also explains that people can share pictures, journal entries and common interests with their network of friends.

According to MySpace.com, the site is perfect for a wide variety of people. Friends who wish to chat online, singles looking for a date and even classmates and study partners are all typical MySpace users.

Wes Powell, freshman business administration major, said he has both MySpace and Facebook.

“It just seems like the normal thing to do nowadays. Everyone seems to have it,” Powell said.

Aside from using these Web sites out of boredom, Powell also promotes various types of music he creates himself. He said this music includes acoustic recordings and hip-hop beats.

“I use it to talk to people when I’m bored, promote my music and get attention,” Powell said.

When it comes to his preferred site, Powell said he likes MySpace the best.

“It gives me a place to post my music and show it to people,” Powell said.

Two other sites are also receiving an increase in recognition. The site XuQa.com, pronounced “zoo-kaa,” was launched in September 2005. According to the site, “XuQa.com is a social networking Web site designed for college students so that they can connect with their peers and have fun online.”

XuQa.com connects more than 7,200 universities and technical schools. Some uses listed on the site include “finding friends, exploring for potential hook-ups and ranting on thousands of college gossips.”

Another site, bouncefriends.com, details how a person can create a profile in a matter of seconds by following a simple sign-up process.

According to bouncefriends.com, “The whole point is for you to get to know people, not just a profile.”

Once a home page is created, people can start what’s called “bouncing.” Users choose what types of people they wish to “bounce” with, and this automatically places them in a network as they are put in a chat box with another person.

According to bouncefriends.com, “you have ninety seconds to chat and decide if you like each other enough to add to your friends list.” The same process repeats itself after each ninety second period, and a person always has the option to “bounce” out of the conversation and on to the next person.

Whether you’re hoping to make a new friend or kindle a romance, Web sites may make or break your heart.

As stated on bouncefriends.com: “You might make a new friend, you might find an old friend, or you might just want to BOUNCE!”

Contact features correspondent Nedda Pourahmady at [email protected].