Monday, May 05, 2008

New Social Networking Site -- Funded & Thriving

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – The newest social networking website comes with a whole new twist: Instead of encouraging its members to connect with friends and professional acquaintances, this one wants its members to list their enemies.

FuckYouIHateYou.com, funded by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Alliance Capital, claims more than 10,000 members and another 1,000,000 enemies. 

“Unlike your average LinkedIn member, our members aren’t full of shit,” said James Lee, the 24-year-old website's chief executive. 

“The average member of our site has around 100 enemies and they hate each and every one of them – with a passion,” Lee added. “Let’s face it, no one who connects with someone on LinkedIn or any of those other social sites really wants to be someone’s friend. It’s just a place for frenemies to meet.

“Our members are honest," he continued. "If they say they hate you, they really hate you."

Lee, who started FuckYouIHateYou.com during his freshman year at Stanford University, says that members of his site just list their enemies. 

“There’s none of this b.s. like asking for permission to be someone’s enemy. Our members just list them -- done deal!” 

Members can view one another’s enemy list, he said, to make sure they’re hating “the right people.”

“If you and another member have someone you hate in common, that’s even better,” said Lee. 

When told that his site sounded like another version of President Richard Nixon’s enemy list, Lee, looking confused, asked, “When was he president?” 

Members of FuckYouIHateYou.com are encouraged to increase their enemies list as fast as possible.

“The member who lists the most enemies any given week can win prizes, trips, even a car,” said FuckYouIHateYou.com’s membership vice president Toby Benwick. 

The perfect people to list as enemies, Lee said, include “anyone who ever dissed you or anyone you refer to as an ‘ex’. That could be an ex-girlfriend, ex-wife, ex-husband, ex-boyfriend, ex-lover, ex-employee. Ex-bosses are always good, too."

Members are encouraged to post pictures and video clips of the people they hate.

“Our staff always does a round of high fives if a member’s enemy dies,” said Benwick. “That’s just the coolest.” 

Membership to the website is free. Advertisers on the website include divorce attorneys and various hate groups, including the Ku Klux Klan. Not to be outdone, the Nation of Islam is considering what Benwick describes as a “huge” sponsorship opportunity on the site as are the country's leading political parties.

Benwick said some of the site’s members and their selected enemies are scheduled to make special appearances on daytime television talk shows. 

“We look forward to our first smack down with the FuckYouIHateYou.com people,” said Jerry Springer.