Not Enough Friends? Buy Some!

Not feeling "popular enough" on your MySpace page? Afraid that others have way more friends!? Scared the friends you do have aren't good looking enough!? Concerned prospective employers and/or mates will search for you online and find you just don't cut it!?

Don't worry - now you can buy some VIRTUAL friends!!!

The New York Times today reports, Fake Your Space is a "business founded by Brant Walker, which offered users of MySpace.com and similar sites a way to enhance their page with photographs and comments from hired “friends” — mainly attractive models — for 99 cents a month each."

Wow.

I've felt like a loser in real life, but not on the Internet. Yet. Maybe I should!?

On the other hand, if you have too many friends, or unwanted friends (!?), Mr. Walker also provides a service called BreakYourSpace.com to get rid of unwanted friends!

According to the article, all of this is perfectly legal. MySpace and Facebook have had no comment.

Is this unethical? Immoral? Is it any different from pre-arranging a cell-phone-call-bail-out when you are going on a blind date or other potentially bad social engagement? Is it any different from a totally "fake" online self? Is this "stealth technology"?

I wouldn't worry about it too much, and anyway, if you use this service you'll be so popular you won't have TIME to think about issues like these!