| Rick Schwartz seems bullish on Florida's
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| | me."
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| economy. After all, he's the virtual
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| | Still, there's a NASDAQ-esque feeling to
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| governor.
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| | Weblo. The latest buys and the sales data
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| Schwartz, a Boca Raton resident,
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| | can be setto scroll across the top of
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| recently dropped $18,047 to buy the state
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| | your computer screen. Jameson, who is 40,
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| - and theaccompanying gubernatorial title
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| | says he watches itconstantly, as if it
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| - on the nascent Weblo.com, a parallel
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| | were the stock market.
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| e-world where virtualownership of every
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| | Schwartz - or should we call him
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| real city, state and property is up for
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| | Florida's governor? - logs on to Weblo
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| sale. So far, there are 21,500registered
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| | far less often. If youvisit his sites
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| users, and almost 7,000 cities have been
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| | expecting photos of the beach and the
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| sold.
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| | state flag, you'll be disappointed. He
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| "Monopoly on steroids," says the Montreal
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| | sayshe's waiting for Weblo to catch on
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| company.
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| | before he develops his profiles.
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| Except this game is played with real
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| | Schwartz estimates that he has spent
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| money. Here's how it works: The first
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| | $50,000 to $70,000 on Weblo. But his
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| person to register a property, city or
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| | friends don'tquestion it, he said, given
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| state can pay to be its rightful Weblo
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| | his success buying domain names.
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| owner. If you buy a city or state, you're
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| | "When you look at the ways you can throw
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| named the virtual mayor or governor. Any
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| | your money away, if it's going to the
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| place with an address is up for grabs:
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| | stock marketor going to the casino, you
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| the Eiffel Tower, your old high school,
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| | don't have any control over it," he said.
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| your neighbor's house.
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| | "It's strictly a gamble. If it
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| A property's initial price is determined
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| | (Weblo) catches on, stranger things have
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| by an index that considers its real-life
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| | happened."
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| population andeconomy, as well as its
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| | Weblo's Morrow wouldn't say what
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| potential appeal as a Weblo profile. It's
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| | percentage of the Web site's profiles are
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| a game for the rich and thepoor: Cities
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| | profitable, orwhether the company has
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| sell for as little as $5, but buying a
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| | turned a profit. But Jameson says he
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| state will cost thousands. "You're
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| | thinks he'll make a 36 percentreturn on
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| thinking, '18,000 U.S. dollars, for real?
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| | his investments ($5,000 or $6,000 so far)
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| It's a profile!' " said Sean Morrow,
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| | by the end of the year.
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| Weblo's director of marketing, referring
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| | Even without the financial element, Weblo
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| to the sale of Florida. "But it's a
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| | allures.
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| significant return oninvestment."
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| | Like a massive game of Risk, it plays on
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| Schwartz, who's in his 50s, is also the
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| | people's desire for power. "I love to be
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| virtual mayor of St. Petersburg, for
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| | known as thevirtual mayor of Lake Buena
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| which he shelled out $11.72. If property
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| | Vista," said Jameson, "because, as you
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| owners adhere to Weblo's game plan,
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| | know, Disney owns thattown."
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| they'll "develop" their sites with
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| | (Want to buy the main offices of the St.
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| relevant information. Mike Jameson, a
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| | Petersburg Times? Too late. This reporter
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| Connecticut resident who has bought
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| | snappedthem up for $2.38, though she'll
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| properties throughout Florida, posted
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| | entertain offers.)
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| maps and photos of Disney World to his
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| | Like a memory book, Weblo plays on
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| profiles for Lake Buena Vista and
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| | sentimentality. Suzanne Calpas, a
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| Celebration. He bought Treasure Island,
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| | stay-at-home mom in
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| as well, but hasn't done much for its
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| | Prince George, British Columbia, bought
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| profile.
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| | some cities in Turkey that she visited on
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| There's a commercial incentive to create
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| | herhoneymoon.
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| a good site: Weblo shares its ad revenue
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| | And like any other networking site, it
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| with siteowners. The more visitors your
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| | plays on the need for social interaction.
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| site attracts, the more money you'll
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| | "Mostly it's forfun," said Calpas, 39,
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| earn. You can also make money by
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| | who bought Pittsburgh for $300 and Lake
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| reselling your site. The Weblo member who
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| | City for $5. "People send youmessages,
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| bought Seattle for $40 resold it for
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| | you start to develop friendships."
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| $2,000, proving that flipping isn't
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| | Jameson, a real estate agent in real life
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| limited to real property. "Global
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| | as well as in Weblo Land, thinks he has
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| domination has never been more fun," the
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| | found onemore use for the site: He has
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| company enthuses on its Web site.
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| | registered dozens of cities in his home
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| Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush
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| | state of Connecticut, andplans to use
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| Morgan Securities who tracks the video
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| | those profiles to provide house hunters
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| gameindustry, expressed reservations
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| | with information about different areas.
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| about the odds of making money off Weblo.
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| | "When I do listings for houses, I will
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| "You can't sell ads without traffic, and
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| | say, 'I am the virtual mayor of this
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| if they make some schmo responsible for
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| | town,' " he said.
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| creating thecontent of Florida, he may do
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| | Weblo, like Jameson, has big Web-based
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| a terrible job, lowering overall
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| | plans for the future. Morrow, the
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| traffic," Pachter wrote in an emailto the
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| | marketing director,said the company is
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| St. Petersburg Times.
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| | formulating plans for a Weblo
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| "Unless there is some quality control,
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| | presidential election, probably to be
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| consumers will tire quickly of visiting
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| | heldjust before the real election next
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| the site, andadvertisers will lose
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| | year.
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| interest. Sounds like a pyramid scheme to
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| |
|
