Online networking sites have clearly taken over the Internet. First there was Myspace and Facebook, which quickly became all the rage among status-conscious teens and bored college kids. Next, working professionals started to jump on the bandwagon with sites like LinkedIn.com. In the middle of this growing Internet friendship frenzy, I guess it was just a matter of time before our fine furry friends got in on the action.
Yep, you heard it right: Now even your four-legged pal can experience the joys of competitive picture-posting and rampant friend-collecting. From the folks who brought you Friendster, say hello to Dogster, and its feline counterpart, Catster. Created to provide a forum for the “purest online reflection of people’s love for their dogs and cats,” the sites have obviously caught on—as of this writing, there are 265,000 pets making puppy and kitty pals online. Dogster, as you might imagine, works just like Friendster: Owners post their pet’s personality traits and quick facts (and adorable pictures, natch), and visitors have the option to send the l’il doggy a message, invite him or her to be “pup pals,” and even give the dog a (virtual) bone. And, just like on their owners’ site, the rules of doggie dynamics seem to favor looks over talent—the cuter the pup, the more pals they collect. Catster is more of the same (for felines, of course), but strangely, dogs and cats cannot link through the two sites. Seems like, even in cyberspace, some stereotypes just won’t die.
And there’s one more thing these sites have in common with their human counterparts: Everyone lies. See, Dogster allows users to rank their energy levels, playfulness and disposition (while Catster kitties rate their activeness, curiosity and friendliness), but you rarely find a “silly/sleepy/not curious” cat or an “aggressive/anxious/not playful” dog. Come on—we’ve all met one of these not-so-desirable pets in our day, so where the heck are they? Hiding under their owners’ pride, I suppose. It’s the same old story: As long as we can hide our faces (or whiskers) behind the computer screen, seems like we can all be perfect. Long live the Internet!—Ashley Sisti
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