Daily Wireless - CyWorld

Here is more coverage on CyWorld. So far, most of the mentions end up "echoing" a story from May by Deborah Cameron. That one story was reprinted and is referred to often. This latest story also cites a post from SmartMobs. When CyWorld, which is a social networking software build around the "minihompy" or mini homepage hits the states, I think it will have to altered from what is popular in South Korea. In South Korea, the participants decorate their minihompy with backgrounds, music, and articles for their avatar or the figure that represents them in the virtual world, that they buy from SK Communications. Fees are nominal, similar to ringtones, but the article disappears after a couple of months, causing most people to buy replacements. There is lots of commenting on how minihompys look so folks update them often to keep the comments postive. I asked the SK Comm spokesman when I visited CyWorld's control room and headquarters if users might upload designs of their own, like the modders do in video games like the Sims. "No way" he replied. "That's how we make our money." CyWorld itself is free to join. I just don't think the buy everything approach will work in the USA. Also, the art style is cartoonish and stylistic, and I don't think it will appeal to everyone. Daily Wireless - CyWorld