The internet has to be useful to survive. We can only watch kids injure themselves on youtube so many times before we become bored and move on. The web needs value. Sites like Wikipedia for information, Gmail, dictionary.reference.com or your favourite torrent site.
I think myhappyplanet.com should be added to that list of useful sites. Started by Karen Ong who is an entrepreneur with no technical experience. Myhappyplanet.com’s premise is simple. Introduce people wanting to learn a foreign language to each other. For example: I’m interested in learning Thai so I find someone Thai who wants to learn English and we help each other. There are also lessons, videos etc.
There is no better way to learn a language than learning directly from native speakers. Kinda like a web based emersion program.
It has all the messaging and user search functions of your typical social networking site. You can list your Skype or MSN/Yahoo chat id.
Currently the site is in a closed beta, but it appears anyone can sign up. The community I find is friendly and eager to help. Unlike other web communities everyone here is signed up for the common reason to learn a new language. I think this makes a great web community that will attract an even larger community.
This kind of usefulness was the utopian ideal most people had of the web in the mid 90’s. There is still a great potential for this niche site to be financially viable. Let’s hope they do this while keeping the value for the user.
Without usefulness and value the web would just be a smaller screen idiot box.
Reference- Harbus, Harvard University Independent Student Weekly
Hey, i save funny photos
here