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Cyber-Soap Returns From The Dead

Posted by timothy on from the shoot-me-now dept.

An anonymous reader submits "Back in 1995, an experimental "cyber-soap" had a wildly successful launch. With over a million page hits a day (an almost unheard-of amount of traffic at the time), The Spot was named "Cool Site of the Year" in 1995, and by all appearances was a huge success. As was the case for many projects of the time, though, by 1997 The Spot was gone, another victim of the dot-com bust. However, unlike other dot-com projects, The Spot has been given new life, un der new ownership, and was relaunched in March. Can the Spot, a unique blend of soap opera, blog, and reality show, survive this time around, or is it doomed to end up back in the graveyard of failed websites in which it was first buried seven years ago?"

5 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Hit or miss.. by DakotaK · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The way Americans love their reality entertainment, it'll soar in theory. However, I doubt it goes far for one simple reason: nobody will have heard of it. Can't beat American Idol if nobody knows about it.

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    I am a viral sig. Please copy me and help me spread. Thank you.
  2. Died for a reason by jmusits · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think it's pretty obvious why this site died a few years back. Just remember that history is destined to repeat itself.

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  3. Accurate? by cubicledrone · · Score: 4, Insightful

    by 1997 The Spot was gone, another victim of the dot-com bust.

    The dot-com bust in 1997? Huh?

    Love them hype-journalism phrases. "Dot-com bubble" and "dot-com bust" are used to explain every negative event in technology.

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    Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.
  4. It'll die again by InternationalCow · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When they go write stuff such as "OMG! I was actually recognized by a Spot fan at work yesterday! It was so surreal and uber awesome" or "Anyway, gotta hit the bucks right now for a Tazo Chai latte! Make it a super day!". Puhleaze, real people (it's supposed to be a reality soap, right?) to whom we are supposed to relate do not talk like a textwriter trying to emulate the way people who are like 20 years younger are talking. And the acting shown in the "Spot Moments" is just awful. I want no part of this crap.

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    ----- One learns to itch where one can scratch.
  5. When I want an on-line soap opera… by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...I come to Slashdot. It's like a soap opera without the soap.