It's embarrassing that I joined Friendster years ago in a morbid bout of "where-are-they-now" curiosity, yet I was too square for the now-unkinky Tribe and I proudly raise my cane about skipping MySpace and Facebook. (Ha! it's also embarrassing that I misspelled "embarassing" for half the year in this post.) Ah, youngsters. Any term ending in "-ster" clogs my large intestine. Nevertheless, curious again, I'm outing myself for having signed up at Zaadz, a social networking site for cultural creatives, after a nice reader pointed it out. The profiles of 1,453 active "Zaadsters" each list two astrological signs--hence many stargazers/yogis/techies /Reiki-people/Burning Man devotees with interests that include green building, evolution, and felting. One guy describes himself as "a love light Padawan;" one woman calls herself a "psychoactive bodhisattva." Get it?
Will Zaddz' mission to fuse capitalism with world-changing attract swarms of green people? 
Zaadz is marked by an absence of cynicism, so even its form buttons are polite (right), but users such as this one gripe about censorship. To join, you must agree to either respect the "sacred space" or leave it. Hm. The site's only in private beta (testing) mode, so expect quirks. Tagging and other web 2.0 plans are in the works, as are hopes for Zaadz-branded spas and books. For now, you can peek at people and search a bank of quotes by some of "the world's greatest thinkers (59 of the 60 most-quoted are male)."
If you like zaadz, but are looking for something a little more on the green tip, you should come check out http://www.dianovo.com.
We just recently launched, and are working to help people move beyond sharing information, and into applying it in their daily lives as change that will help themselves, those around them, and ultimately have a global impact.
peace,
blue
Posted by: Blue Cobalt | 2006.12.13 at 11:42 AM
ok.. I looked at it again.. maybe not as many strange vegans, I just happen to find a few nut cases the first time I looked... I know thats a subjective opinion as well. It feels like Im going to a holistic retreat with overly sensitive people except its a website. Can't deal.... but its cool if you have never done a social network site...one is enough work.
Posted by: mig | 2006.03.01 at 07:52 PM
tee hee, look who's talking about vegans but just finished almost 2 months (?) of no dairy.
;)
Melissa--glad I'm not the only one with a similar Ayn Rand reaction. think i spotted Emily Dickinson on that list at some point too though..?
coolmel--I love that Boomeritis story you link to. thanks!
Posted by: elsa | 2006.02.22 at 01:13 AM
"but it seems filled with a bunch of potheads or weird vegans."
keyword here is "seems". i've met some vegans but none close to weird. and potheads? i don't know, maybe there are some but they're the exceptions rather than the rule. and in case someone is wondering, i'm neither a pothead nor a vegan. just weird.
btw, collectively, Zaadz is above and beyond "green." :)
Posted by: coolmel | 2006.02.21 at 02:21 PM
he he.. ayn rand. who made this list? someone write to them and point this out. Personally zaads seems wishi washi meow meow. It could be cool but it seems filled with a bunch of potheads or weird vegans. dont get me wrong on that either. Id love to have a social network like this filled with real movers and shakers who pursue green the futures of green technologies and sustainability, zaads does not look like that yet.
Posted by: mig | 2006.02.21 at 01:40 PM
oh my lord - the ONE "greatest thinker" woman who is listed is...
Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Melissa Mansfield | 2006.02.21 at 10:33 AM