Like other bloggers and internet-focused folks, I am always thinking of ideas for new websites. I'm sure you've thought of some as well.
Staying true to the spirit of Quixoting, my ideas are better in the public eye than stuck in a bottom drawer or crammed in the corner of my brain. But I've also thought: if it is such a great or interesting idea, why don't you launch it? Good ideas don't become great just because you tell people about it. It has to be launched, money has to be risked and blood must be spilt, right?
But I don't really believe that anymore. I believe that if I do not have the time, the knowledge or the inclination to start it, why not tell others? Maybe someone else would like to launch it. I believe there is good karma in that. And I've, in sharing, reduced my idea inventory (fewer headaches that way!).
So, the first I'll share is one called www.whowasthat.com and it was inspired by a family trip to Bass Lake, CA.
We stopped at a rest stop for food. As we were leaving, I noticed a sweet looking Escalade with 3 or 4 big guys around it. Of the four, one of them looked very familiar. African American, tall, impeccably dressed, etc. My wife and I went through all the scenarios including musician/singer, professional athlete, actor but could not figure it out. To this day, I still wonder "who was that"?
Now you could argue "who cares" instead. I get it. But we are a culture that likes to stare. We are curious about people who are on TV and pictured in magazines, right? Haven't you had an experience like this at a restaurant or on a plane?
So how will it work?
Basically I envision you going to the site with all the details you can remember (race, height, weight, car type, city, etc). If you are good with a pencil, you could even upload a drawing. You would then input all that data into a database. The key to this is obviously creating and maintaining a database that could quickly match the provided description with all the database content. It would be like the FBI database on CSI. After you hit "Submit", you would get back your results (like Google). The better your input, the fewer your results.
Once you find your correct result, you click a button which "rings a bell" letting others on the site know that you were successful. Any unsuccessful searches, would be opened up to the community for anyone to take a guess.
So, what do you think? If you are a web entrepreneur, like this idea, and have an interest, send me an e-mail. I'll tell you more!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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