PlentyOfFish Owner Has the Perfect Bait For a Huge Success
WSJ, May 23, 2007
By Lee Gomes
The headquarters of what may be, on a per-capita basis, the busiest, most profitable site on the entire World Wide Web is on the 16th floor of a brand-new Vancouver building with panoramic views of the nearby Canadian Rockies.
It happens to be the apartment of 28-year-old Markus Frind, the owner and sole employee of PlentyOfFish.com, a free online dating site and a model for the next generation of Web entrepreneurship.
Lots of people run Web sites by themselves. But it's likely that no other solo venture runs at the scale of PlentyOfFish. For the week ended April 28, it was the 96th-busiest Web site in the U.S., according to the HitWise tracking service. That means it has more traffic than some of the Net's best-known destinations, such as Apple.com.
Busy Web sites like these usually require scores of people: technicians, certainly, to keep the servers running, but also programmers, marketers and the rest. Mr. Frind says people often don't believe him when he says PlentyOfFish is all his.
I needed to see for myself, so I spent an afternoon touring the company's roomy offices, which most people would call a spare bedroom. Unless there is a team of programmers hidden down the hall, or off in Bangalore, things are exactly as Mr. Frind says they are.
Mr. Frind was born in a small rural town in northern British Columbia. He headed to Vancouver in the late 1990s, went to trade school in computers and rotated through several dot-com jobs before starting PlentyOfFish in 2003 to keep himself busy.
The site was done without much of a plan, though Mr. Frind was intent on finding out how far he could get keeping it entirely free of charge. Most other dating sites charge anywhere between $20 and $40 a month for membership.
The site became popular in Canada and, later, in the U.S. Mr. Frind says he doesn't know exactly why.
There are now 1.2 million active members. HitWise says it's one of the five-busiest dating sites. Nielsen/NetRatings says that by some measures, such as the time its members spend on the site, it ranks second after eHarmony.
How does he do it? In large part, by keeping things simple. The graphical design ranges from rudimentary to nonexistent. No wonder, since Mr. Frind did it himself. The site also won't win any J.D. Power awards for customer support. If you write in with a problem, the odds are long about hearing back from either Mr. Frind or his girlfriend, Annie Kanciar, who helps now and then answering emails.
The site runs on Microsoft software on a half-dozen machines at a hosting facility a few miles away. From his bedroom, though, Mr. Frind can keep tabs on everything going on. When I was visiting last week, he showed me the site's monitoring program: 43,000 people were at PlentyOfFish at that moment, with 500 Web pages a second being sent out.
When you have that kind of traffic, you can make money three ways: via Google's small text ads, with bigger banner ads and through "affiliate marketing," where other sites pay you for sending them customers. Mr. Frind does all three -- and does very well. A few months back, he posted on his blog a picture of a check from Google for nearly $1 million for a two-month period. Google confirmed the check was for real.
Mr. Frind says the site brings in between $5 million and $10 million a year; lest even more competitors get onto his success, he declines to be more specific. That puts him ahead of some of the Web's best: Last year, each Google employee generated an average $1 million in sales.
PlentyOfFish is the success that it is because of several converging Web trends. Servers and server software have become simple and reliable enough that they can run on their own, without a lot of babysitting. What's more, a remarkably sophisticated economic infrastructure now exists that allows busy Web sites to make lots of money, certainly enough for one person to live very well. (Mr. Frind's consumption so far doesn't appear to be conspicuous; his major indulgence is travel.)
Mr. Frind, as one person, can afford to give it away. The big dating sites can't make enough just on Google ads to do the same thing, but the smaller sites can. One small site, HotOrNot.com, is dropping its monthly fees, fashioning itself after PlentyOfFish.
An ascent of free sites could shake up the online dating scene, which is already struggling with flattening growth in the U.S. Nate Elliott, who follows online dating for Jupiter Research, doubts the big Web sites have anything to worry about from for-free competitors. Mr. Frind disagrees; he said his own traffic in Canada has fallen lately as Facebook, the free social-networking site, has become more popular up north.
Many companies would respond to that sort of competitive pressure by hiring someone -- say, a strategic planner. Mr. Frind says he has no plans to do so. He has nothing against employees, he says, and he insists he isn't a control freak. Instead, he just enjoys the freedom to work on whatever part of the site interests him on a given day, without having to fret about who else might be involved. "No one else has ever done something like this before," he says. "It's like my own personal toy."
Biratnagar’s bookkeepers: This mercantile town is a hotbed of nation-defining politics
NepaliTimes, Issue #349 (2007-05-18 - 2007-05-24)
CK LAL
Biratnagar, settled in a glade less than 75 years ago, still bears a potted-plant look. Unlike old tarai towns such as Janakpur, Birganj, or Nepalganj, which grew organically, the settlement here is predictable.
Neat little plots by roads running at right angles to each other, sedate bungalows, orderly shopfronts, no children playing football in the street, not even on a Saturday evening. There are no abrupt turns, no blind alleys, and no surprises for a visitor taking a leisurely stroll. The dullness of the cityscape, however, is made up for by the rumour-mongering around Traffic Chok.
Local journalists eagerly await every homecoming of Girija Prasad Koirala. These are their chances to scoop national headlines, and Koirala often obliges with pithy soundbites on issues of national importance.
Early this week, speculation was that Koirala would deliver the final blow to the monarchy and effectively steal the Maoists’ thunder.
Instead, he delivered a damp squib, saying that it was not as easy to establish a republic as many of the lesser politicians believe in the coalition that he heads.
Nobody understands the staying power of the monarchy better than the man who has been fighting it for over six decades. He knows that for a declaration of a republic to be significant, the objective conditions that support the king have to change.
The April Uprising has severely weakened the five M’s that have always supported the monarchy—the military, the mandarins, the merchants, the mendicants, and the mediators. Some of these traditional forces now support some form of democracy for tactical reasons, but it will take a lot more for them to turn republican.
The merchants continue to be the most committed supporters of monarchy in whatever form. Nepal’s mercantilists have been cosy with the rulers since Jung Bahadur. Chandra Sumshere refined that the relationship further, and Juddha, who benefited from the boost in trade during World War II, invested some of the loot in industry. Biratnagar was home to some of his entrepreneurial ventures.
King Mahendra courted Mananges and Marwaris in his efforts to build a parasitic economy based on the vulnerabilities of state protection in neighbouring India. King Birendra gave continuity to the tradition, and screwdriver manufacturing, repackaging of exports, re-routing of imports boomed in Morang. During the 1970s, almost all the country’s big business houses thought it essential to have a presence in Biratnagar.
In these glory days, Matrika Prasad Koirala schmoozed with Marwaris. The Golchhas had a close relationship with Surya Bahadur Thapa. The Madan Lal-Chiranjivi Lal duo patronised Bhupal Man Singh Karki, and Tolaram Dugar brought Kirtinidhi Bista to Biratnagar.
The town also came to be known as the home of various prime ministers. It has been the stomping ground of all three Koirala brothers, Man Mohan Adhikari, Nagendra Prasad Rijal, Surya Bahadur Thapa, Mahesh Acharya, and Bharat Mohan Adhikari. Not too many are proud of Badri Prasad Mandal, but he too has an independent support base here.
That pahadi domination of this town is being questioned after January. For an emerging group of madhesis, Upendra Yadav is Biratnagar’s new icon. He is now a sworn republican, but his distaste of the mainstream parties and Maoists is even stronger than his anti-monarchy sentiments. His connection with Morang’s influential Marwari community isn’t yet clear. The monarchy has powerful backers in this mercantilist town and Koirala seems to have reluctantly accepted this for now. But he has to balance this with his republican constituency.
Drinking up the view
The best rooftop bars for your buck
By Daniel Lehman
Special to amNewYork
Want a different summer escape every night of the week? As Manhattan’s rooftop bar season kicks into high gear, there are plenty of places to see a bird’s-eye view of the city.
230 Fifth
230 Fifth Ave, 20th floor, bet. 26th and 27th sts.
212-725-4300
With 22,000 square feet of space and enough wood benches and garden chairs for 500 guests, 230 Fifth, the city’s largest rooftop bar, opened a year ago on top of the New York Market Center. The space is so vast, it’s barely believable it fits in Manhattan. Enjoy the guava-, cactus- and blood-orangeflavored cocktails while you peer at the Empire State Building. Drinks average $12 each, but the 360-degree view of the city offers a rooftop vacation that’s well worth it.
A60
60 Thompson St. bet. Spring and Broome sts.
877-431-0400
Though a members-only bar, there are tricks to cracking open A60. Try reserving a room at the hotel downstairs. Two separate rooftop areas present guests with picturesque midtown and lower Manhattan skyline views. The bar has room for up to 100 people, and offers pricey exotic drinks and Thai hors d’oeuvres.
Bar 13
35 E. 13th St. bet. Broadway and University Place
212-979-6677
Amid a palm tree setting, this Miami-themed rooftop enjoys different themed parties and two-for-one happy hour specials on eeknights. Its proximity to NYU makes this a prime destination for students looking for South Beach flavor.
Cabana at the Maritime Hotel
88 Ninth Ave. bet. 16th and 17th sts.
212-242-4300
This Meatpacking District bar is consistently ranked as one of the city’s best rooftop escapes. In the summer, it feels like a cross between a trendy L.A. nightclub and a retro luxury cruise liner (credit the heat lamps and tropical wallpaper). The locale is a hot place to celebrity watch (Sean Penn and the Hilton sisters are both regulars), while a bottle of sake or a lychee martini are both guaranteed to cool.
The Delancey
168 Delancey St. at Clinton St.
212-254-9920
During the summer, the roof is the main draw at this three-floor Lower East Side rock-androll bar. The all-weather rooftop is palm- ronded, with benches, fountains and a barbeque pit. There’s even a retractable roof that shields partiers from the rain.
Gramercy Park Hotel Private Roof Club and Garden
2 Lexington Ave. at E. 21st St.
212-920-3300
The Gramercy Park Hotel opened its own rooftop bar this spring. Unfortunately, the bar is only available to guests of the hotel and select private members. The unique space houses paintings by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst.
Roof Garden Cafe
The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden,
Metropolitan Museum of Art,
1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd St.
212-535-7710
The diverse crowd at the Roof Garden mixes together, while enjoying views of Central Park from above. The “bar” is really just a concessions cart that serves alcohol and snacks, but in addition to the spectacular view, there are marvelous sculptures by Frank Stella.
Full List @ NY Times
More Nepalis holidaying abroad
eKantipur.com, 12-May-07
By Krishna Regmi
So what if not many tourists are coming to Nepal - more and more Nepalis are traveling abroad as holidaymakers!
Nepal is already sending far many more tourists to Malaysia and Thailand than it receives from those two East Asian countries.
According to data at Tourism Malaysia, around 12,000 Nepali tourists visited Malaysia in 2006. During that year, Nepal welcomed only 3,141 Malaysian tourists. Likewise, data with Thailand Tourism Authority shows that 21,180 Nepalis visited Thailand as tourists in 2006. Only 3,632 Thai tourists came to Nepal in the same period.
Besides Thailand and Malaysia, China and Singapore are also emerging as popular destinations for Nepali tourists. Sensing the outbound tourism potential in Nepal, several countries are increasingly trying to tap this opportunity.
"We are aggressively working to woo Nepali tourists, offering attractive packages at reasonable prices. We are expecting at least 10 percent growth in the flow of Nepali tourists this year," said Mohd. Roslan Abdullah, director of Tourism Malaysia, talking to the Post. He said the Nepali market is showing phenomenal growth.
Increasing wealth of people in the high-income bracket and the changing life-style of the young generation are generating more outbound tourism in Nepal. The relative expansion of the middle class may also have contributed to the phenomenon.
Liberalization on the foreign exchange regime, simplified visa procedures and easy availability of tour packages have provided a boost to foreign travel.
Subodh Rana, managing director of Marco Polo Travels, said they, in association with Tourism Malaysia, have been sending around 50 tourists every month to Malaysia. "The six-day package that costs around Rs 40,000 is among the most popular," he said.
Ajay Sharma, business development manager of Genting Interna-tional that operates Malaysia's First World Hotel, the world's largest hotel, said Nepal has become an important market as Nepalis are increasingly spending quality time abroad with their families.
Cruises are also fast gaining popularity among Nepalis. "This April 22 people went to Singapore for the Star Cruise," said Rana. "The package price of the cruise is US$ 2,000."
Rana said in order to meet the diversified choices of Nepali tourists his company has recently introduced seven-day packages for China, costing US$ 1,000.
Even a far away country on the African continent is eyeing Nepali tourists. Sensing the potential, Egypt has just entered the Nepali market.
"We are for the first time coming to Nepali market. Though presently, the tourist volume is not encouraging, there are bright prospects. We are embracing a plan to promote tourism products here to tap potentiality," said Samy Mahmoud, tourism counselor of the Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA).
Rana of Marco Polo said working together with ETA, they have now launched seven-day packages for Egypt, with prices starting from US$ 470. Apart from these markets, Nepalis have also begun to travel to Europe, the US and Australia. "A number of Nepalis are buying travel packages to those countries. We have offered 20-day packages, which cost in the range of Rs 400,000 to Rs 500,000," said Rabin Bajracharya, sales and marketing director of Lalit Mandap Travels.
He said around 400 Nepalis have been going abroad through his company annually.
American spy plane pilot Captain Francis "Gary" Powers has been freed from prison in the Soviet Union in exchange for a Russian spy jailed in the US.
Gary Powers was sentenced to 10 years in a Soviet prison after his U-2 plane was shot down over Russia in May 1960.
But on Saturday Captain Powers, 32, walked into West Berlin across a bridge separating the city's east and western sectors.
At the same time Russian spy Colonel Rudolph Abel crossed in the opposite direction.
Colonel Abel had served five years of a 30-year term for running a spy ring in the US.
His sentence was commuted by US Attorney-General Robert Kennedy two weeks ago.
However, the Russians have always denied any knowledge of Colonel Abel and even now maintain Mr Khrushchev freed the US pilot simply as a "goodwill gesture".
Another American, student Frederic Pryor, was also freed from the eastern bloc at the same time as Gary Powers.
Mr Pryor had been held in East Germany without charge since last August.
'Weather plane'
Gary Powers' capture in 1960 caused an international crisis.
Initially the American authorities believed there was no evidence left of either plane or pilot and tried to convince the Russians the U-2 had been a weather plane.
However, the Russians then produced Mr Powers alive and well claiming he had admitted spying for the CIA.
Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev demanded an apology from US President Eisenhower and when none was forthcoming plans for a superpower summit in Paris collapsed.
US authorities have said it will be at least a week before the freed airman is allowed to meet the press.
In the meantime they will no doubt want to establish how Mr Powers came to be shot down when U-2s were believed to be impregnable to anti-aircraft fire.
They will also be keen to find out exactly how much Mr Powers told his captors about the spy planes.
There was speculation during his trial that he had said more than his oath of secrecy permitted.
The release of Captain Powers comes a year after that of the two US airmen whose reconnaissance aircraft was shot down over the Barents Sea in January 1960.
Four of the crew died. Authorities in the USSR claimed the plane had been in Soviet airspace.
The two survivors, John McKone and Freeman Olmstead, were held in prison in Moscow for a year before being freed.
Ancient Buddhist mural discovered in remote Nepal region
AFP, 5-May-07
A team of explorers and scholars says it has found a cave in remote northern Nepal with a spectacular Buddhist mural unseen for centuries and discovered only because a shepherd took shelter there.
"The most exciting find we had was a cave that was clearly intended for religious purposes. It appears it was reserved as an assembly room for Buddhist teachings," team member Broughton Coburn, an environmental and cultural conservation expert, told AFP.
The local shepherd led the team to the cave in the Mustang region of Nepal, bordering Tibet. He had sheltered in it decades earlier during a rainstorm.
The cave contains a stunning, seven-metre (23-foot) long mural that the team believes dates from around the 14th century.
"We felt that it was unusual that a wall painting as intricate and delicately executed and intact could be found for the first time in this millennia," said Coburn, who returned to Kathmandu from the expedition earlier this week.
The Mustang region, which opened to tourists in 1992, is a visually stunning but often dry and harsh alpine terrain adjoining Chinese-controlled Tibet.
Much of the population of the region migrates for the winter to the lowlands of Nepal or India, as snowfall makes large parts of Mustang uninhabitable.
Its geographic isolation means that the region has maintained Tibetan culture and tradition to a much greater extent than Tibet itself to the north, the conservation expert and author said.
The team spent March exploring dozens of caves that had not been visited by humans for centuries.
"Initially, it appeared there were around 30 or 40 of these cave complexes but now upon travelling further afield, one can easily say there are between 100 and 150 of these cave complexes, individual cave cities," said Coburn.
Two world-class mountaineers assisted the team, leading it along perilous, steep routes into the caves in Upper Mustang.
For Pete Athens, leading the climbs into the previously unexplored territory knocked the experience of climbing Everest into the shade.
"I can unequivocally say that climbing into the caves was greatly more exciting than any emotions I had on Everest," said Athens, who has reached the top of the mountain seven times.
Athens and fellow climber Renan Ozturk had to invent new climbing tools to anchor the team to the poor quality, crumbling rock at the cave sites.
"We had to exercise extreme caution to enter the caves. We designed and made a number of prototypical tools to make climbing on high angle, poor quality rock possible," Athens said by telephone from his home in Seattle.
For him, the experience was unforgettable.
"Mustang's stark beauty, arid other-worldliness and opportunity for exploration render it a must visit for all explorers," the mountaineer said.
"The most exciting find we had was a cave that was clearly intended for religious purposes. It appears it was reserved as an assembly room for Buddhist teachings," team member Broughton Coburn, an environmental and cultural conservation expert, told AFP.
The local shepherd led the team to the cave in the Mustang region of Nepal, bordering Tibet. He had sheltered in it decades earlier during a rainstorm.
The cave contains a stunning, seven-metre (23-foot) long mural that the team believes dates from around the 14th century.
"We felt that it was unusual that a wall painting as intricate and delicately executed and intact could be found for the first time in this millennia," said Coburn, who returned to Kathmandu from the expedition earlier this week.
The Mustang region, which opened to tourists in 1992, is a visually stunning but often dry and harsh alpine terrain adjoining Chinese-controlled Tibet.
Much of the population of the region migrates for the winter to the lowlands of Nepal or India, as snowfall makes large parts of Mustang uninhabitable.
Its geographic isolation means that the region has maintained Tibetan culture and tradition to a much greater extent than Tibet itself to the north, the conservation expert and author said.
The team spent March exploring dozens of caves that had not been visited by humans for centuries.
"Initially, it appeared there were around 30 or 40 of these cave complexes but now upon travelling further afield, one can easily say there are between 100 and 150 of these cave complexes, individual cave cities," said Coburn.
Two world-class mountaineers assisted the team, leading it along perilous, steep routes into the caves in Upper Mustang.
For Pete Athens, leading the climbs into the previously unexplored territory knocked the experience of climbing Everest into the shade.
"I can unequivocally say that climbing into the caves was greatly more exciting than any emotions I had on Everest," said Athens, who has reached the top of the mountain seven times.
Athens and fellow climber Renan Ozturk had to invent new climbing tools to anchor the team to the poor quality, crumbling rock at the cave sites.
"We had to exercise extreme caution to enter the caves. We designed and made a number of prototypical tools to make climbing on high angle, poor quality rock possible," Athens said by telephone from his home in Seattle.
For him, the experience was unforgettable.
"Mustang's stark beauty, arid other-worldliness and opportunity for exploration render it a must visit for all explorers," the mountaineer said.
