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Hip, new Grand Rapids Web site is a houseparty online
By Tricia Woolfenden of The Grand Rapids Press:
The UrbanHonking.com site in Portland ... which take online social interaction to a new level, served as inspiration.
Mike Merrill, 28, of Portland, Oregon, is a co-creator of UrbanHonking.com (UrHo) an interactive Web site on which G-RAD is heavily based. Merrill and other UrHo crew acted as mentors to Schaafsma and Wietor during G-RAD's launch.
"I think UrHo (and G-RAD) are really unique online communities because of the way they differ from MySpace or Friendster," Merrill said via in an interview.
"Those are places that anyone can join, and it's sort of the real life equivalent of a giant rock show. Sure, there is a sort of community sense there, but it's not like UrHo and G-RAD, which I think is more like a house party or a potluck."
Specialized networking sites such as G-RAD and UrHo could become a more common way for people to stay in contact. Merrill views it as an easy way to accomplish goals.
"I think publishing your thoughts and photos on the Web is where things are headed. If I meet someone with no Web presence, I am usually surprised," Merrill said. "That is such an easy first step in organizing or sharing the things you care about. I'd say it's almost essential ... It's asynchronous, so people in different time zones or with different schedules can still be involved."
