Boost plays matchmaker with new social network

File this under: things that have the potential to go horribly wrong. Boost has announced that it has partnered with IceBreaker, the company that produces the social networking program Crush or Flush. The software allegedly “helps people meet, maintain friendships, and express themselves through their mobile phone — anytime and anyplace.” The program was a success in a trial period, and is now available to all 4.5 million Boost subscribers. Color us a bit skeptical on this one. First off, the service costs 69 cents per day, so that’s an immediate turnoff. Yes, it’s mobile, which is an advantage, but we fail to see the point. What, you can’t stand being away from your MySpace or Facebook for too long? According to IceBreaker, members “typically access the service twice a week, and use the service for 20 minutes per session.” Okay, so people aren’t obsessing over it — according to the company. So why pay for it, then? Social networking on the Internet is free. If you’re only going to check it twice a week, why not just keep your current social networking service and not pay for another one? The whole basis of the service, in essence, is to find a booty call. Yes, that’s our interpretation. But check out the features listed by IceBreaker:

— Anonymous chat: If two members have a mutual crush, they can engage in anonymous text messaging via a proprietary system designed for mobile phones. Our service protects member e-mail addresses and mobile phone numbers. — Personalized profile filter: Users can easily sort and view profiles based on age, gender, orientation, location, and interests. — Crush List: Users can quickly find out ‘who crushed me’ which enables members to browse people who are interested in interacting with them without receiving unsolicited requests.

Yeah, because sexual predators won’t eat up this service. Are we being too cynical? [CNN Money]]]>