New Social Network Gets Behind Closed Doors

We live on one of those streets I often read don't exist anymore. The kind where kids grow up together, playing kickball, manhunt, and spud at each others' houses. The kind of street where their parents become good friends, too, and would do anything to help one another.

I know it's rare in lots of places, especially in cities where turnover is high, and in suburbs where most residents work outside the home ten-plus hours a day. Well, Mashable has some news about a social-networking site designed to take away any excuses you might have for not getting to know your neighbors.

FatDoor allows you to see your neighborhood in 3D and 2D views on a Microsoft Virtual Earth Map. By entering your email, name, and address, you can claim your profile and put in as much info as you'd like and set privacy settings. You can leave messages for neighbors to pick up when they claim their profiles, and you can invite neighbors to the site using their email addresses or street addresses.

The network, in its alpha stage, also includes local businesses and invites residents to review them and ask neighbors for their recommendations. You can create and join specific community groups.

For sure, lots of people won't be comfortable with this kind of immediate and personal look at their neighborhood, and the possible abuses it could open doors to. Lots of parents with kids who are already concerned about their teens' exposure on the web may not want yet another online venue to share family information.

As Kristen Nicole writes on Mashable: If the access to personal information coupled with the high potential for a lack of control over what's shown on FatDoor scares you, you're not alone. FatDoor ushers in a high level of transparency that many will be uncomfortable with, especially if there are no age restrictions for registrants. While this is only slightly more of a concern with FatDoor than with Wikipedia, it is a concern nonetheless.

What do you think? Too much information about the people next door, or a good way to find like-minded neighbors, become immersed in your community, and make your home more than just the place you hang your hat? Sound off.

LINK: FatDoor Launches Social Network for Your Neighborhood [Mashable]