Web's top 10 weirdest social networks who clicked

The Web's 10 Weirdest Social Networks

© Fast Company

Trying to meet people on MySpace or Facebook is like participating in one of those office gift exchanges: you have no idea what you're going to get. Witness the rise of niche social networks, where hamster enthusiasts, mustache lovers, even lonely farmers can find kindred spirits to commune with (and sometimes sleep with). New virtual cliques form every day, thanks to platforms like Ning that enable anyone to create an online network around any topic. Check out our list of the 10 weirdest social networks.

By Ellen Gibson, Fast Company

Hamsterster

This smelly corner of the Web is devoted to over-parented domestic rodents. The proud owners of Fiona McNibbles, Hammin McSquish, and thousands of other hamsters compare notes -- on how Hammy Heit always tries to escape, Fatty likes lying in bed with the fan blowing on his face, and Nutmeg enjoys dance music with a good beat. A FAQ page addresses such puzzlers as "How do I make another hamster friends with mine?"

FarmersOnly

It seems that raking manure and breeding alpacas aren't the best ways to meet hot singles. Enter Farmers Only, a thriving online community of eligible farmers, ranchers, and livestock owners. The site bills itself as online dating for country folk -- people whose lives revolve around blue skies, not $4 cups of coffee. FarmersOnly is just one of thousands of specialized dating networks -- for Trekkies, the overweight, celibates, and even married people.

ZiiTrend

Members post questions and predictions ("Which country will win the most gold medals at the Beijing Olympics?" or "When will Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie break up?") and other users vote on the likely outcome. Inspired by James Surowiecki's pop business tome "The Wisdom of Crowds" and the belief that if you average the uninformed opinions of a bunch of Average Joes, the collective judgment is remarkably accurate.

Lost Zombies

This network boasts some 1,700 members with overactive imaginations, posing as zombie-hunting vigilantes, survivalists, and the undead themselves. Everyone's an amateur George A. Romero on this site, where the exalted art form is a perfectly staged photo or mock radio broadcast documenting a zombie "outbreak."

Myrl

This is a simulated community for the avatars who inhabit virtual worlds like "Second Life" and "Google Lively" -- because why not get one more degree removed from the real world. Human users will be able to post profiles for their avatars and recommend cool places they've stumbled upon in metaverses. The creepiest part: Users build up karma points, and thus a more visible profile on the site, the longer they stay logged on.

My Free Implants

The icky factor on this "plastic surgery financing" site is high. Under-endowed women post sexy photos and profiles to solicit cash from silicone sugar daddies. Why would anyone give a stranger money for breast implants? It's a pay-to-play format, where the men have to shell out cash to send the women messages. My Free Implants is surprisingly legit: It raised over a million dollars for surgical procedures last year.

Social Anxiety Friends

Yup, this is a social network for people with social anxiety disorder. The goal of this virtual support group is to help its members overcome their disorder, but it actually seems like more incentive to stay inside. The huge virtual arcade is especially popular, but the activities -- barbwire jump rope, "Ant Burner," "Cubicle Warfare," and one in which you feed babies to alligators -- are decidedly antisocial.

Stache Passions

Do you idolize Rollie Fingers or fantasize about Magnum P.I.? This is the place to be for mustache wearers and the men and women who love them. The mustachioed members divide themselves according the type of stache preferred (Pornstar, Fu Manchu, Dali), and post stache-related videos. The company behind this site, Passions Network Inc., also hosts the popular Goth Passions and the yet-to-catch-on Mime Passions.

Beautiful People

Only applicants deemed beautiful enough by existing members are welcome. To gain access, you need to post self-portraits (including a full-body shot) and leave them up for three days while those on the inside size you up. The tone of the site is Darwinian smug, proudly "separating the hippos from the cheetahs" in the online dating jungle; just one out of 10 applicants makes the cut.

Spot a Potty

Like many networks on Ning, this one might be too specialized. Members post photographs of the toilets found in their homes and in public places -- for no discernible reason. The site should take a page from MizPee.com, the useful public restroom-locating site, and focus less on bathroom décor and more on practical considerations like cleanliness.

2 latest Games for the Nintendo Wii

In-Depth and Hands-On: Nintendo 'Wii Sports Resort' and 'Wii Music'

By Danny Allen, PC World

Here's a detailed look at Nintendo's next two powerhouse casual gaming titles.

LOS ANGELES -- Here at the E3 2008 games expo, I got the chance to spend some quality time with early builds of Nintendo's latest 'Wii Series' games: 'Wii Sports Resort' (a sequel to 'Wii Sports') and 'Wii Music' (once planned as a Wii console launch title). The early verdict: Both deliver the irreverent fun you'd expect, coupled with some crafty control methods that you perhaps wouldn't. Both are sure to be popular -- even 'Wii Music' -- though I'm still not 100 percent sold on it.

Wii Sports Resort

'Wii Sports Resort' will require the Wii MotionPlus add-on that Nintendo unveiled recently. The small accessory connects to the tail of the Wii remote to deliver dramatically better arm-motion sensing. Nintendo claims it delivers 1:1 precision and having tried it, I'd have to say it goes pretty close, tracking movement even when you're pointing away from the screen/sensor bar.

That kind of response opens the floodgates to all manner of new game-play styles, and Nintendo let me play three mini-games: "Power Cruising"' (Jet Ski), "Disc Dog" (Frisbee) and "Sword Play" (because who doesn't fence at the beach?).

"Power Cruising" reminds me of "Wave Race 64" but with Mii-character style graphics. You hold the Wii Remote and Nunchuck together to form a handlebar that steers your water scooter through a series of gates, slalom style. The Wii Remote's trigger (B) accelerates and flicking your wrist initiates turbo.

Also straightforward: "Disc Dog" sees you throw a flying disc to your virtual man's best friend -- arm movements -- only no button pressing needed. You receive 100, 50 or 10 points based on your accuracy (and if Fido actually catches the disc). Finally, "Sword Play" looks to be an early contender as the "Wii Tennis" go-to game of "Wii Sports Resort." Not only does it have the highest potential to break any vase and bruise any arm within swinging distance, but it's the only activity I tried where two players could compete via split screen. Literally double the carnage! The Wii MotionPlus' increased controller precision is most apparent here; it makes chopping, hacking and lunging intuitive and accurate.

The big question then: How much will the Wii MotionPlus controller cost? Nintendo would say only that it'll come bundled with a copy of "Wii Sports Resort" in spring 2009. No word on it being sold separately.

"Wii Music"

In the meantime, "Wii Music" (which doesn't require the WiiMotion Plus add-on) is set to launch these holidays; read sometime in November or December 2008. Unlike RockBand, Guitar Hero, Rock Revolution, et al., "Wii Music" more or less provides a jamming playground where it's perfectly fine for players to make mistakes -- almost to a fault.

I like the concept of granting players a taste of the connection created when you play music with another person, but the lack of a discernable goal in what I played did feel slightly aimless, at least in the jam mode. Sure I could see where I was supposed to play, but wasn't really penalized (even in terms of sounding all that bad) if I just rocked out in my own world, arms flailing wildly.

More than 60 instruments will be available: a vast variety of string, woodwind, brass and percussion options; the piano, too. For instance, the Nunchuk and Wii remote let you glide an invisible bow back and forth at your shoulder to play violin, strum invisible space to play guitar, or rattle away when you play tambourine. Various buttons perform a range of flourishes, both visual and musical.

Word is that the game will include about 50 songs, including public-domain folk songs (I played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"), and more modern licensed content (I also played the Mario theme song, but expect some real songs you'd hear on the radio, too). Nintendo says it's not really thinking about downloadable content, instead focusing more on letting players use their imagination to change up the style of songs provided. A death metal version of "Yankee Doodle"? You got it!

Four players can jam in your lounge room at once. You can also use WiiConnect24 to save an instrument jam as a video and share it with a friend. He can then record a musical part over it and send the combined piece back to you. Up to eight parts can be layered, six melodic and two percussion.

Speaking of percussion, "Wii Music" has an absolutely rock'n, free-form Drum mode. And you know how most real-life drummers hate being told when to smack skin in "Rock Band"? Well, they're going to absolutely love this, while nondrummers will have to go back to drawing board (or, mercifully, drum-lesson mode in this case). Case in point: I rock out at Hard on drums in "Rock Band". Here, I couldn't even put a basic fill or loop together. That's because "Wii Music" features a full virtual five-piece (eight counting cymbals) drum kit that you control using the Nunchuk, Wii Remote AND -- if you have one -- the Wii Balance Board.

Your left foot on the Wii Balance Board opens and closes the h- hat, while your right foot operates the kick drum. The Nunchuck (in your left hand) and Wii Remote (in your right) essentially operate either side of the kit and the D-Pad or analog stick control which tom you strike. Drum mode is what will sell "Wii Music," particularly what I'm told Nintendo has planned for the drum lessons.

Finally, "Wii Music's" Orchestra mode has also already been demonstrated. You'll be able to control a Mii character orchestra and gain rank as a conductor rated as passionate, graceful or methodical.

But like I said, I think it'll be all about the drums. Isn't it always?