Here Are All My Points: I'm In Like With You
Every once in awhile a private beta comes along that is so hot, that it can literally whip people into a frenzy over the prospect of securing an invite. First it was GMail, then it was the The Venice Project (Joost), and now comes i'm in like with you, the unwieldly named online flirting game and dating site (herein: IILWY) that caused readers of trend-watching blog Josh Spear to get, quote "kinda crazy" and prompted IILWY to offer a free 24 universal invite code as a result.
So what is IILWY? It's a slickly-designed online flirting game that is borderline addictive. The basic premise is that users are awarded points for interacting with the site (logging in daily, uploading profile pictures, answering silly yes/no questions), which can then be used to bid on the ability to talk with other users.
IILWY's super simple sign up form.
In order to attract the bids of other users, you must start a game. A game, which runs for either 3 days, 1 day, or 3 hours, is an invitation for others to try to gain your attention. Usually that means a question, ranging from the practical, "What should I do on a Saturday night in San Francisco?" or "What would you wear to impress me on our first date?" to the more cryptic, "Fill in the blank." In order to post a response to a game, you have to outbid the previous responder. When the game ends, the game's starter can declare a winner from among the top 5 bidders. The winner and the game starter can then talk to each other.
IILWY offers a range of communication options: a private messaging system, email, protected SMS or voice (i.e., without revealing your phone number), or chat. The design of the site, meanwhile, is very simple and attractive. Corners are rounded and text boxes are big, in true Web 2.0 fashion, and user-uploaded photos and videos are delivered via a nifty flash viewer. Status messages pop up in the lower right-hand corner of the screen to let you know when new users have joined or new games have started.
Conclusion
IILWY is a fun and amusing site that has a lot of Web 2.0 cred -- great design, addictive social networking features (it's easy to spend far too much time browsing people's games and straining to come up with a witty response), and a hot closed beta. As more people sign on in different geographic areas it might become more useful as a legitimate dating site (what better way to get someone's attention than pledging all your points?).
Thanks to Veronica Belmont of CNet for my invite.
UPDATE 1, by Richard: Read/WriteWeb has got about 5-6 invites to hand out. So if you want one, please leave a comment. Staying with the theme of IILWY, to get an invite simply provide an answer to this in ONE WORD:
Describe Web 2.0 in one word.
:-) (note you'll need to enter a real email address, so we can email the invite to you. the email address won't show up on the site)
UPDATE 2, by Richard: whoa, that was an overwhelming response for just 5 or 6 invites! We'll give them away on a first-come-first served basis. So commenters 13 (icekernel), 14 (Scott), 15 (Oleg), 16 (Jonathan), 17 (lau) definitely will be sent invites. Also commenter 19 (jessie) if there is indeed a 6th.
We'll see if we can rustle up some other invites, or if you have some leave a comment.
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I've been on the site for a few weeks now (Josh: Where have you been man - it launched 3 weeks ago?!) - and I've got to be honest: the novelty has worn off fast for me. I'm bored with it already! The UI is not all that good...and not giving users the ability to 'delete profiles' if they want to leave the site for good shows that perhaps not everything has been thought through. Sure - that's why it's in 'beta' though right? I've suggested stuff to the iilwy team for their beta feedback - and never even had a response in return. Does that mean my suggestions are being ignored? Does it mean they are getting them at all? Is the whole 'beta' testing thing a big fat lie?
It's a fun concept...and that's where it could do well. I was initially intrigued by it - because the 'fun' factor is certainly needed online. But this has all the signs of another web 2.0 (next dotcom crash?) drop-out.
Posted by: Matt Robin | May 14, 2007 1:33 PM
>>"(Josh: Where have you been man - it launched 3 weeks ago?!)"
Sorry, small correction - I think that should be 2 weeks....not 3 weeks. Apologies.
Posted by: Matt Robin | May 14, 2007 1:45 PM
Matt - fancy sending through a beta invitation (that's if they allow such things)? I'm pretty interested in giving this a whirl.
Posted by: Neil | May 14, 2007 2:14 PM
Actually, IILWY launched over a month ago. I got my invite on 4/12 and spent about 5 minutes there before I thought it might result in a termination of my engagement!
Posted by: Kevin | May 14, 2007 2:27 PM
Anyone got a beta invite to spare? I'd be in like with you if you passed it along to me:
http://unraveled.com/about/#contact
Cheers
Posted by: Joshua Kaufman | May 14, 2007 3:31 PM
Kevin, I have the same feeling. Im just newly engaged and I doubt my fiancee would want me on here... what she doesnt know wont her her right? Isn't that what a good marriage is based on? HAH j/k on all counts!!
Posted by: Jason - CleverTools.com | May 14, 2007 6:29 PM
Surprisingly, there were a couple of profiles I ran into from married couples. What they were after, I'll leave that to your imagination. ;)
Posted by: Josh Catone | May 14, 2007 6:33 PM
I'm in a relationship but my guy and I are BOTH on iilwy meeting awesome people from all around the country. I think it's a great place to bid on some crazy games and find others with a common interest! That said, I have invites if anyone needs one ;)
Posted by: Nicole Wopperer | May 14, 2007 6:39 PM
hey look at that, that's my i'm in like with you game.... yessss.
love that place... it's a cool way to meet people without the
"hey, I'm on a dating site" feeling.
Posted by: Jan | May 14, 2007 6:41 PM
IILWY actually launched several months ago, if we're gonna get picky about the whole "how long has it been around" thing. ;-)
But, it's a fun site. (as showcased by my own IILWY addiction.. ahem)
Posted by: Faruk Ateş | May 14, 2007 6:42 PM
Janny, the girl in the screenshot of the profile, is my sister!
The cutie blonde in the bottom middle is mine ;) and we both have profiles on here. We use IILWY to meet fun, random and sometimes exotic people! Although intended for meeting romantic interests, a lot of people do not use it that way.
Posted by: Eric Willis | May 14, 2007 6:45 PM
Hi all, Read/WriteWeb has got about 5-6 invites to hand out. So if you want one, please leave a comment. Staying with the theme of IILWY, to get an invite simply provide an answer to this in ONE WORD:
Describe Web 2.0 in one word.
:-) (note you'll need to enter a real email address, so we can email the invite to you. the email address won't show up on the site)
Posted by: Richard MacManus | May 14, 2007 6:56 PM
i think Web 2.0 in one word is human
thank you for a invite
Posted by: icekernel | May 14, 2007 8:02 PM
I'd love an invite!
Web 2.0 = sexy
Posted by: Scott | May 14, 2007 9:24 PM
Let me have an invite too!
Web2.0 = curvy
Posted by: Oleg | May 14, 2007 9:36 PM
Web 2.0 = Miscellaneous (watching David Weinberger iview in other window ;-) )
Posted by: Jonathan Strauss | May 14, 2007 9:59 PM
web 2.0 = virtualization
Posted by: lau | May 14, 2007 10:23 PM
web 2.0 = virtualization
Posted by: lau | May 14, 2007 10:24 PM
Web 2.0 = alpaca
Posted by: jesse hernandez liwag | May 14, 2007 10:26 PM
Web 2.0: peopletastic!
Posted by: Laura | May 14, 2007 10:37 PM
I'd love an invite!
web 2.0 = the future
Thanks
Posted by: Neil | May 14, 2007 10:47 PM
web 2.0 = love
Posted by: David Ronnie | May 14, 2007 11:15 PM
web 2.0 = kaboom!
Posted by: Chris | May 14, 2007 11:38 PM
Web 2.0= Manic
Posted by: Mithun | May 15, 2007 12:18 AM
web 2.0 >= Web 1.0
ncostello - at - gmail.com
Posted by: Noah | May 15, 2007 12:35 AM
web 2.0 != lonely
Posted by: Angelo | May 15, 2007 12:45 AM
web 2.0 != lonely
Posted by: Angelo | May 15, 2007 12:46 AM
Let me have an invite too!
Thanks:)
Posted by: pengbone | May 15, 2007 2:03 AM
hmms, is this international too? Looks US only :s
Posted by: Jonas | May 15, 2007 2:33 AM
Well, I saw a number of profiles from Canadians. :)
Posted by: Josh Catone | May 15, 2007 2:39 AM
Web2.0 = Wow
Posted by: Shaun Apple | May 15, 2007 3:17 AM
Web2.0 - Social!
Posted by: E | May 15, 2007 5:27 AM
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Posted by: davey | May 15, 2007 5:43 AM
BAM!
Posted by: StarkENT | May 15, 2007 6:45 AM
Web2.0 = hype
Posted by: Salvador | May 15, 2007 6:52 AM
web 2.0 = crowdsource
Posted by: Ken | May 15, 2007 6:52 AM
web 2.0 = Internet 1.0
Posted by: michaelslevy | May 15, 2007 7:22 AM
web 2.0 = Almost
Posted by: Cory | May 15, 2007 7:28 AM
web2.0 = hyperdistillation
Posted by: jimmy | May 15, 2007 7:54 AM
I would love a link from RWW or anyone else who has one!
Posted by: Shaun Higgins | May 15, 2007 9:28 AM
Web 2.0 = $$
Posted by: Dan Grossman | May 15, 2007 9:41 AM
I gots me some invites, too. Just leave a comment on my blog.
Posted by: Mark Johnson | May 15, 2007 10:21 AM
Web 2.0 = Vague
Posted by: Kelvin J | May 15, 2007 10:38 AM
web 2.0 = dynamic
r1ch4rd at gmail
Posted by: richard | May 15, 2007 11:19 AM
web 2.0 = Hype
ksquare [at] gmail [dot] com :)
Posted by: Kelvin K | May 15, 2007 12:39 PM
web 2.0 = 2late4invites
Posted by: engtech | May 15, 2007 12:56 PM
web 2.0 = 2.0
ivanpk@gmail.com
Posted by: ivan | May 15, 2007 1:30 PM
id love an invite please
Posted by: Tyler LaVite | May 15, 2007 1:43 PM
Web 2.0 = Exergonic
Posted by: David | May 15, 2007 1:44 PM
web 2.0 = shiny
Posted by: therippa | May 15, 2007 1:44 PM
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