Jan Freeman writes The Word column for Ideas.
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« You drink how much? | Main | Jong says Amen » Thursday, October 11, 2007The friend of my Friendster... is my enemyThe Globe's Business section reported today on Enemybook, "one of several new online applications developed by computer-savvy twentysomethings who say they are tired of bogus online friendships." Kevin Matulef, a 28-year-old MIT grad student doing a doctoral thesis on algorithms, designed Enemybook, which lets people list enemies on their personal Facebook page.  Back in 2003, just a few months after the beta-launch of the social networking site Facebook, Matulef -- then still an undergrad -- came across "an Examined Life item in the Boston Globe's Ideas section that blew my mind," he says. "It was called 'The Friend of My Friendster Is My Enemy' -- it reported on [anti-Friendster] parody sites like Enemyster, Fiendster, and Introvertster. None of these sites actually did anything, so I've been working ever since to make that dream a reality." Oops! Matulef didn't really say that. But I did write about anti-Friendster activism in 2003. Like many Examined Life items, it's not on Boston.com, but now you can read it here. Posted by Joshua Glenn at 02:15 PM
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