Ecrush
Encyclopedia
The eCRUSH network comprises two major sites: eCRUSH.com and eSPIN.com. The network was acquired by Hearst
Media on December 31, 2006 . The original eCRUSH site was launched on Valentine's Day
, 1999 in Chicago
by Clark Benson and Karen DeMars Pillsbury. It pre-dates the social networking phenomena of Friendster.com, MySpace.com and Facebook.com.
-like social networking service backed by a matchmaking engine. Users "spin the bottle" to find other users (although they can also search); the site also has quizzes. Registration is free, however, one must pay a monthly fee or unlock various tools via sponsors to do key processes like chatting or sending messages.
The New York Times cites that eSPIN has registered more than 3.8 million users as of January 2007 . ComScore
Media Metrix has measured their monthly unique visitors at 1,514,000 and monthly page views at 133MM (December 2008).
s.
site designed to obviate fears of unrequited love
. A user creates a list of people he or she is interested in, and has the option of sending anonymous emails to those individuals indicating that an unidentified person has a crush on them. The recipient can then logon to the site and create a list of people they are interested in. If the two people select each other, then the system notifies them of the match. This system is a type of viral marketing
in which awareness of the site spreads among friends and acquaintances similarly to a virus as they list each other as crushes and send emails. Over 1,000,000 people have matched on eCRUSH.
article, "eCRUSHONLINE.com is seizing an elusive but highly desirable audience of young, mostly female viewers, ranging in age from 10 to 37." According to that article, the service has seen its biggest growth at high schools and colleges.
's The Post argued, "It is rare to be matched up with your one and only by trickery or bizarre circumstance. When eCRUSH's initial e-mail is sent, the recipient might discard it like a chain letter or an invitation to a porn site".
The "Someone has an eCRUSH on you" emails do not list the name of anyone the friend knows; therefore, a recipient unfamiliar with eCRUSH could very well interpret them as spam
. Moreover, as with many commercial emails, eCRUSH's messages contain images that, for privacy reasons, would be peremptorily blocked by most modern email clients — another red flag
suggesting spam to many users. Lastly, the email subject lines — for example, "Someone you know likes you!" — resemble those employed in mass mailings from other dating sites.
Hearst
Hearst may refer to:People* Amanda Hearst* Garrison Hearst, NFL running back* George Hearst* George Randolph Hearst, Jr.* Hunter Hearst Helmsley, WWE professional wrestler* John Randolph Hearst* Lydia Hearst-Shaw* Michael Hearst* Millicent Hearst...
Media on December 31, 2006 . The original eCRUSH site was launched on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, 1999 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
by Clark Benson and Karen DeMars Pillsbury. It pre-dates the social networking phenomena of Friendster.com, MySpace.com and Facebook.com.
eSPIN
eSPIN is a spin the bottleSpin the bottle
Spin the Bottle is a party game in which several players sit/stand/kneel in a circle. One player spins a bottle and must kiss the person to whom the bottle points, who then spins the bottle in turn...
-like social networking service backed by a matchmaking engine. Users "spin the bottle" to find other users (although they can also search); the site also has quizzes. Registration is free, however, one must pay a monthly fee or unlock various tools via sponsors to do key processes like chatting or sending messages.
The New York Times cites that eSPIN has registered more than 3.8 million users as of January 2007 . ComScore
ComScore
comScore is a Internet marketing research company providing marketing data and services to many of the Internet's largest businesses. comScore tracks all internet data on its surveyed computers in order to study online behavior....
Media Metrix has measured their monthly unique visitors at 1,514,000 and monthly page views at 133MM (December 2008).
Age restrictions
eSPIN prohibits minors from contacting adults and vice versa, and their administrators screen user-submitted content before it can go live. Additionally, minors are prohibited from publicly posting contact information like email addresses and screen nameScreen name
Screen name may refer to:* Stage name, pseudonyms used for film appearances* User , pseudonyms used for internet communications and BBSs...
s.
eCRUSH
eCRUSH.com is a teen-oriented anonymous matchingAnonymous matching
Anonymous matching is a matchmaking method facilitated by computer databases, in which each user confidentially selects people they are interested in dating and the computer identifies and reports matches to pairs of users who share a mutual attraction...
site designed to obviate fears of unrequited love
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
. A user creates a list of people he or she is interested in, and has the option of sending anonymous emails to those individuals indicating that an unidentified person has a crush on them. The recipient can then logon to the site and create a list of people they are interested in. If the two people select each other, then the system notifies them of the match. This system is a type of viral marketing
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
in which awareness of the site spreads among friends and acquaintances similarly to a virus as they list each other as crushes and send emails. Over 1,000,000 people have matched on eCRUSH.
Demographics
In accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, eCRUSH shut down the existing accounts of children who identified themselves as being under thirteen. According to a Red HerringRed Herring (magazine)
Red Herring was a technology business magazine, which flourished during the dot com boom, with global distribution and bureaus in Bangalore, Beijing, and Paris. It also sponsored conferences designed to bring venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and technologists together. But the magazine went into...
article, "eCRUSHONLINE.com is seizing an elusive but highly desirable audience of young, mostly female viewers, ranging in age from 10 to 37." According to that article, the service has seen its biggest growth at high schools and colleges.
The "Don't Be An Idiot" Campaign
In January 2009, eSPIN launched the "Don't Be An Idiot" campaign in order to educate teens about online safety. The campaign consists of a safety hub page, a safety quiz, a YouTube video and a place to submit safety stories.Spam related issues
The company's emails promise, "At eCRUSH, we know how important your love life is to you, and we would never take advantage of your emotions just to spam your crush." However, an April 22, 1999 article in Ohio UniversityOhio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
's The Post argued, "It is rare to be matched up with your one and only by trickery or bizarre circumstance. When eCRUSH's initial e-mail is sent, the recipient might discard it like a chain letter or an invitation to a porn site".
The "Someone has an eCRUSH on you" emails do not list the name of anyone the friend knows; therefore, a recipient unfamiliar with eCRUSH could very well interpret them as spam
Spam (electronic)
Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
. Moreover, as with many commercial emails, eCRUSH's messages contain images that, for privacy reasons, would be peremptorily blocked by most modern email clients — another red flag
Red flag (signal)
Red flag is a semi-official term to denote various attention and awareness indicators and signals, both explicit and implicit. It can be used in various contexts usually as a warning or when things seem too good to be true as well as unexpectedly good results.The earliest citation for "red flag" in...
suggesting spam to many users. Lastly, the email subject lines — for example, "Someone you know likes you!" — resemble those employed in mass mailings from other dating sites.