On September 30th 2006, I joined asmallworld.net (asw) and I have to admit, it was pretty exciting. It was like I had the entire European world at my fingertips. At first, I spent more time on there than on Facebook and liked comparing the site to the "Bungalow 8 of the internet"....or at least the idea of the Bungalow 8...or at least the idea of what Bungalow 8 used to mean. Now, like Bungalow 8, I'm beginning to wonder if ASW has lost some of its luster and social cachet?
Founder Erik Wachtmeister is a friend of mine and, last fall, over drinks at Rose, I asked him some pressing questions: why did it take so long for you guys to start emailing us updates, when are you going to clean up the site's blank pages, why are you letting so many people join? He answered all of these question and, since that time, asw has immensely improved as a website.
So, why am I not using it anymore? Is it because I am too overloaded with other stuff, (facebook, blogs, tumblrs, twitters, aprivateclub, hamptonsundercover, etc.)? Do I just not have any use for it as I am not globe-trotting much these days? (the site has always been extremely useful for me in the past when traveling internationally). Has the prestige of being on ASW melted away much like my mascara last night in the muggy heat of the city?
OR- has everyone stopped using it?
Gawker has been quick to point out the defects in Asmallworld's business plans, yet I want to know what everyone else thinks....Are you guys still using ASW??? Has it met the same fate as all of its real life counterparts (those hardest to get in hot spots)? Are they short on cash?
[Paying Homage To Our Inspiration: Bungalow 8]