Friends of friends connect on Web

Trying to find new friends on a campus of roughly 38,000 people can be a daunting task for even the most outgoing social butterflies. However, www.thehoosierweb.com is doing its part to make a large campus just a little bit smaller.\nThe Hoosier Web is an independent Web site that provides a forum for IU students. This summer, the site launched a new feature called "The Network." Similar to sites such as www.Friendster.com, The Network allows students to connect with other students for friendship, tutoring and even romance. \nSenior Chris Shemmer, the site's webmaster, said the feature is a great way to meet other students. Anyone with an indiana.edu domain can register on the site for free. Users can create profiles including their appearances, social life preferences, interests and current classes. After completing their profiles, users can browse the site looking for other people with similar interests and invite friends to join their network.\n"Anyone registered on the site can use it to meet people with the same interests," Shemmer said. "It also shows who else is connected to you."\nRecent Drexel University graduate Jason Kilpatrick, who originally founded the site, is excited about its possibilities.\n"I originally created the site with some friends who wanted a college Web site that was entertaining, interactive and useful," Kilpatrick said. "The Network is the best application of what we wanted to do."\nWith The Network gaining popularity, people might find it hard to believe the feature began almost by accident.\nIU sophomore and fellow webmaster Shaun Keihn conceived The Network under auspicious circumstances. He was trying to track down some questionable activities that were occurring on his accounts.\n"What I ended up having was an intimate layout of first-, second- and third-degree friends of (one person)," Keihn said. "(Kilpatrick) took the idea and turned it into something marketable and fun for students on the Web site, hence 'The Network.'"\nIn 2003, the site held "Hoosier Web Parties" to unite users. Shemmer hopes the new network feature will help connect students who might otherwise have trouble finding new friends. \n"The Network can help freshmen meet people and connect with others," Shemmer said. "Finding others with your interests while online can also help overcome shyness."\nUsers also can participate in other features on the site, including message boards, blogs, professor ratings and ride boards.\n"The students who run it make it happen and they are doing an excellent job," Kilpatrick said. "The site is a reflection of our users, and your input is what makes the site better."\nFor more information on The Hoosier Web, visit www.thehoosierweb.com.\n-- Contact staff writer Jorie Slodki at jslodki@indiana.edu.