By KAYLEY FRANK



PENDLETON — For former Pendleton resident Ryan Hupfer, getting into the business of computers wasn’t a complicated process.

“In college, I got into Web programming,” he said, laughing. “I was a pretty social guy, but I grew a computer geek side, too.”

So when Hupfer discovered the world of social-networking sites, it seemed that his two worlds — hanging out with his friends and computer programming — had successfully collided.

“I enjoyed being social online during college,” he said. “I liked the forums where everyone could comment on issues and ideas. It was fun.”

When Hupfer graduated from college, he kept in touch with friends by social networking. Hupfer created his own site when he was 22 that centered around his road-tripping travels in a huge ancient van — a self-described “hooptie.”

“The site was a great place to record my experiences in the van and stay connected with my friends,” he said. “And when I saw how much the site was growing and how much my friends liked it, I knew that it was here to stay.”

But Hupfer’s social-networking site wasn’t the only one that users were latching onto.

According to Lynn Hobbs, library director of the Pendleton Community Library, social-networking giants such as Myspace.com and Facebook.com consistently grow in popularity.

“They’re very popular, especially among students,” she said. “It’s a fun way to share what’s going on in your life with your friends. But it’s also a very powerful communication and promotional tool.”

The growth of Hupfer’s own Web site prompted him to do some investigating of social-networking sites in other cities, and the results of his searching led him to MetroMojo, a Web site that was dedicated to providing users in a specific metropolitan area with hyper-local content and applications that would connect them to other people in their area.

Hupfer said that he liked the idea so much and saw how much success MetroMojo had in cities like Louisville that he began a branch of the Web site in Indianapolis: a Web site called indymojo.com.

According to Hupfer, indymojo.com offers users more than other popular social-networking sites like Myspace and Facebook.

“Myspace and Facebook are almost too overwhelming for the average user. They’re impersonal and they have an ‘all-about-me’ feel,” he said. “Indymojo.com offers a social community where people can connect outside of the online world. When users join indymojo.com, they’re plugged in.”

Hupfer said that by connecting with local businesses like restaurants and pool halls, indymojo.com is able to sponsor events in the Indianapolis area and advertise them on the Web site.

“By doing that, people have an opportunity to connect with the people they meet online in real life,” he said. “It supports an offline community.”

Additionally, indymojo.com offers users features like forums, photo galleries, blogs, advice columns, coupons and vouchers and video uploads.

Erin Stout, a Pendleton resident who grew up in Anderson, is a member of indymojo.com and was looking for a way to amp up her social life when she heard of the Web site.

“I got to a point where I was bored with my social life,” she said. “I wanted to meet new people, and I have.”

Stout is a member of both Myspace and Facebook, but she said that she appreciates the opportunities provided by indymojo.com.

“It’s more personal,” she said. “I’ve been able to get to know local people on a personal basis. I’ve made real friendships.”

Stout also said, happily, that since joining indymojo.com, she’s gone out more.

“I’ve got no excuse to sit at home with nothing to do,” she said.

Additionally, Stout recently began volunteering with indymojo.com events, something that Hupfer depends on to keep the site running properly.

“Up until January, I was the site’s only paid employee,” he said. “Now we have a promotions manager, yes, but the key to our success is our street team members who coordinate grassroots events to get our name out there.”





Though social-networking sites offer a way for users to keep in touch with their friends, it’s important to know how much information is too much information, especially when children are accessing these Web sites.

“Predators are always out there,” said Lynn Hobbs, library director of the Pendleton Community Library. “Social-networking sites are a good way for them to find what they like.”

Hobbs offers the following tips for keeping young people safe as they use social-networking Web sites:

• Get involved. Give your children an opportunity to be open with you about their Internet activity.

• Communicate with your child. Let him know what your expectations are for his use of social-networking sites.

• Know what they’re using. “Knowing how the site functions will help parents to understand more specific software tips like making profiles private,” said Hobbs.

• Use common sense. Don’t put personal information out there where strangers can access it.