Doostang jobs vs. aSmallWorld exclusivity: my email exchange with Doostang's Co-Founder & CEO Mareza Larizadeh

Mareza was kind enough to join our podcast recently, and one topic was about his commitment to building Doostang on "trust" and how that can be maintained as the user base grows.  The site can be found at http://www.doostang.com.  The site is currently in alpha and is invite only, so if you would like an invitation, Mareza has requested that you email him directly at mareza-AT-doostang.com.

My Email to Mareza:

Mareza,

I discovered aSmallWorld.net recently and have discussed it with a couple friends and we agree that they execute invite-only consistently, meaning invite-only was not just a means to build out the network at the beginning or a marketing ploy as some suggest it is, but is an essential component necessary to enable the network to maintain its purpose.  In fact, they have continued to narrow the requirements for a member to stay a part of the network in order to maintain the site as a truly "trusted" place; for example, you have to be confirmed by 10 members just to gain membership.  If you do some deleterious to the network, then you get booted.

Certainly doostang and sSmallWorld.net are not the same thing -- in fact, I don't know of any other network that operates in a similar manner as aSmallWorld.net -- but I would appreciate your comments as to what you think of their approach and whether you think that would be helpful for a job site like doostang in order to maintain the utmost quality?  Do you believe it is necessary to actively monitor users to ensure they should be allowed to participate in the site?

Some links:

http://www.gawker.com/topic/asmallworld-friendster-for-the-vip-set-022639.php

http://www.gawker.com/topic/sneaking-around-asmallworld -022731.php

http://www.gawker.com/topic/asmallworld-gets-even-smaller-022837.php

http://www.gawker.com/topic/asmallworld-gets-nasty-022924.php

Thanks! :)
Doug

Mareza's Reply:

Hi Doug,

Much thanks for the question and also for having me on MinorityRapport.com again. Really love your website and find it extremely useful.

I am actually a member of aSmallWorld.net. The beauty of social/professional networking is that you can have so many different spins of a similar thing - all of which add value in different areas. I joined aSmallWorld.net when you needed to be invited by just one member, which is the current Doostang model. Would be ten member invite system work for Doostang? Interesting question, and here are my thoughts:

- The higher you raise the bar for membership then the less diversity you get within your network. We need to define "quality." What is "quality?" Is it investment bankers? Is it non-profit people? Quality means different things to different people and by making Doostang so exclusive we would end up having too much quality down one vertical and not enough in many others.

- I think that by still having one person vouch for a new member, then you have a bar to ensure that that person isn't going to be an anonaly to the network. We at Doostang believe in laisser-faire networks, however if someone is consciously and continuously being inappropriate, then yes, we would definitely take action.

- One needs to also look at the personal side of things. If you are looking for a job, the last thing you want to do is have to go and find ten members to give you access to Doostang. Chances are if you are friends with one of our current members then you're suitable to join.

People should realize that you can have the whole network as large as possible, yet have exclusive groups within that network. You can form these groups generically through network growth. We're working on that right now on Doostang and this will become more apparent as Doostang grows.

Hope this helps. If any of your readers would like to try Doostang out, please have them send me an email at mareza-AT-doostang.com . We can hopefully invite them to Doostang Alpha.

Thanks again,

Mareza

Comments

[Stefania]

I am a physician working and living in NYC. Could someone send me an invitation to asmallworld.net?
Thanks

[shruti kapoor]

I would like to connect with some people on asmallworld.com, an invitation would be greatly appreciated, Thanks...

Email Add: Shruti.kapoor@gmail.com

[Justin Salsburey]

I have several friends on asmallworld but not enough.. If anyone has invite capabilities I would love an invite.. My main reason for wanting one is that I write a blog about online communities and networking and want first hand experience to review for my blog.

http://www.opensourcepixels.com

[Justin Salsburey]

my email is jsalsburey@gmail.com

[Mia]

I am a mobile networking expert, coming from Hong Kong, worked in different asian and european countries, really want to join the asmallworld community for the following reasons:
1) introduce the community for people from asia
2) gather up some people to create some new internet/network services.

Please send me an invitation to mia.pesco@hotmaiil.com I would really appreciate your invitation.

Thanks.

[Marta]

Can anyone please send me an invitation? Thank you!

[Yuri]

Can anyone please send me an invite to Doostang.com and asmallworld

Thank you for your help

email: ys.resources@yahoo.com

[SAMARPAN]

Hi!!

Recently heard of asmallworld.com from a guest who was visiting at my work place; I work as a yoga expert and teacher in a resort.

Am soon planning to travel and being a member will help me get connected and travel wiser as well as effectively share info with all those who could make use of it.

Please emailme an invite at samarpananand@yahoo.com

SAMI

[Joanne]

You are all such a desperate lot! Doesn't anyone have a social life of their own?

[hung]

can someone send me an invite too?
thanks
hung

bigbang642001@yahoo.com

[Tomas]

Hi there,
I would like to ask if someone could help me to an invitation for Asmallworld.
I am going to work as an intern at the Royal Embassy in Valetta (Malta).

I hope someone could send me the invitation as soon as possible to: tpj.verhoeven@hotmail.com

[Roy]

Can someone send me an invite.
rm001g@yahoo.com
I am currently an MBA from California, looking to make new contacts.

[Nisha]

need an invite

[pHiL]

I'm going to open a Hedgefund. Need an invite to asmallworld for business & social neccessities.

Thank You

[Alexi]

hi [ ! ]

i need a invite to asmallworld

just like everybody else haa

thanks a million

- Alexi

[Julia]

Hallo
I am interested in making new business contacts. Can somebody please send me an invitation for aSmallWorld?
Grettings
Julia

[Ahsan Khurshid]

HI there,

I need smallworld.com invitation. Is that possible for any one to invite me please.

email: HeyAhsan@gmail.com

Thank you,
-Ahsan

[Marcus Khong]

Hello,

I am really hoping that someone would be kind enough to give me a smallworld.com invitation. My email address is marcuskhong@gmail.com .

Thanks,

Marcus

[Get a life]

Stop asking for invites to asmallworld.com, you are never going to get them. If you were the type of person who belonged there, you would know people who could invite you / would get an invite. No one is going to send an invite to a stranger, it defeats the purpose

[Al]

could someone please send me an inivte to asmallworld.net and also to doostang as well? my email address is msworldwidewoman@yahoo.com I would greatly appreciate it.

[Martin]

Ciao. How about inviting me as well? I just loves to mingle in these kinds of forums.

mabios@gmail.com

[Martin]

Ciao. How about inviting me as well? I just loves to mingle in these kinds of forums.

mabios@gmail.com

[MyConsiglieri]

yvyvyny.wordpress.com

Shameful and Cowardly aSmallWorld Management

As an FYI. This is with regards to my position on how aSmallWorld is being run. Let me know what you think.Its been well documented that the web admins on aSW are 5 women, named interiuer police by a recent French magazine, run apparently by Erik’s wife, Louise.

--->This is an important note: The quality of people on aSW and diversity is undisputed. Good people all round. Unfortunately something is rotten in the state of Denmark… and management must realize that what was built on such great grounds is now handled with one of the poorest rudest style of management I have ever come across.

Well, many aSWers have seen my postings across various threads in aSW either as a tongue in cheek/ “boundary-pushing” author or as a genuine participant in the community contributing to informative threads, connecting people and directing folks where I think they can find information.

I don’t need verification or pats on my back for that. But here’s the unknown part of my story, that I will tell everybody which will reveal how unprofessional and cowardly the management is.

In Feb 2007, I approached EW proactively with some advice and some feedback re; murmurs about how he or Louise is being too strict with the community. In my words, I said there is too pervasive a culture of fear in the community. I know theres value and I love the value of the community, but I said it mimics too much the feeling an Old Communist state has. I said, as the founder, he should be the brand ambassador, the goodwill gatherer who is like the grand old father of a network, and not be accused of any heavy handed regulation of what is in itself a vibrant community.

Through conversations, I began to develop, pro bono, a complete set of recommendations on how the network could stem the blood loss, the membership leakage through an iron-fisted web administration. A web admin that seemingly harks of new age/ Internet age ideals, but run like some old rusty Nazi like mechanism. The web admins, I know, are people too, but because they choose to conduct themselves as cold merciless second rate readers of English, I will treat them like the tools they are.

– e.g., When I would be sarcastic and played the persona of what were some aSWers’ cheezy pickup selves, I was pointed out as being a cheezy slimy pickup artist. There was no attempt to read what preceded that “statement” or comment.

– e.g., Some people might have discomfort in jokes made, but lets regulate ourselves. A fellow member should be able to say, hey, that was not too nice and such. A graceful person that I am trying to be, will admit going too far if I did. There was never such kind of feedback. Instead, it was always “thread deletion” or “warning” imposed. Measures that every modern forum moderator today will tell you is not the way to do it.

At the same time, I recommended the following, some of which were executed but the advice never acknowledged with a kind thank you.
1. Members who were helpful in organizing get together should be rewarded with invites - check.

2. List more emails and forum threads per page, “for goodness sake” if your web design team can’t do anything else - check.

3. Create channels of recourse with Member Advisory Board, whereby members had local representatives across geographic or time regions, who understood the people, could dissemintae corporate messages or provide feedback to management. These members would serve as arbiters in the event the wed admins executed what were erroneous judgements and punishments. - Not Done. No Check.

4. Make web admins consistent in interpretation of all threads. Members could tell whether 2 would like this, or 5 would like that or frown on what. We should never be able to tell them apart because the standards are consistent, clear and easily understood. “Quality we expect” is vague. Are we really conforming to what I understand are Middle East countries yardstick of what passes through their proxy servers? That doesn’t sound right?….
a. The membership and forum guidelines are no clearer than the rules specified in a neighborhood nursery pool. No jumping, no splashing, no running - safe yes, vague oh yeah.
b. I recommended elaborating on each and every single rule, e.g.
Section 3, part 1 (b) Use of profanity, words include fuck, cunt, bitch, asshole, retarded, pussy, cameltoe.. etc *list all*, should not be utilized in any context, paraphrased, quoted or altered to retain meaning *e.g., f*%k*
– Not Done. No Check.

5. I recommended the creation of an Office of Member Relations. A function to calibrate invitation standards, address member issues, manage the Member Advisory Board, serving the membership as its sole client. This office defends the community against finance/budgetary concerns, reviews guidelines continuously, staying on top of what is a continually changing society.
– Not Done. No Check.

Then the web rollout.
6. I said you should test it out with the super users to illicit feedback. — Not Done. No Check.
ASW Watch Enthusiasts tab, font color, still no search function makes me speculate if someone’s grandma was doing the programming.

7. Create group functionality so people can communicate better. No need for elaboration since every other group out there has this. — Not Done. No Check.

8. A dubious dropping of all LGBT related threads among a peppering of others. I went down hard on management on this. Why? Because I am a believer in non-discriminatory practices. I’m a minority. If gays go first, its women, and minority next.
– Why was a public admonishment within the community necessary? Because it gives any outsider looking in an impression that there is at least balance, or a conscience within the society. Had everybody stayed quiet in fear, we would have all been guilty of being homophobic. One would think professional diplomatic experience would have covered that. — Not appreciated.
– I played my part in trying to find out where the ball was dropped, appeasing certain LGBT parties to not go to press. I passed along emails and voicemails raising concern. — No response
– Magically, the LGBT threads are restored.

9. A few days ago, I said I was going to reward aSW if I found a business opportunity through there, a 2% equity stake as fomders fee. or if its project based, a 2% headhuntes’ fee, both to show my reward and potential gratitude. — Thread deleted because it was too “:commercial” — No brains. No loss to me.

Two days ago I posted something that was objectionable to another member. It was the perfect opportunity to strike.
a. I got my posting rights removed. I couldnt defend myself. Let alone retract, apologize, explain how the writing was purely in character. In character the persona whined about women, and blames his girlfriend for cheating on him with his pet dog (kissing for 10 seconds, thats where the reader should know its a joke) and that his gf knew Ferraris because she was shagged often in them. It was a persona below the quality expected.

I ask our Middle Eastern prozy servers and investors.
1. Blondes and Brunettes
2. My Oldest Toy
3. Whats on my mind?
—> those are high quality threads? vs mine accounting colorfully, the pickup strategies of cheesy men? Hmm. So another female member can say “meet you at Pole Position” and that is more tasteful that my writing? Ok, sure. No good judgement.

10. My friend staying with me told everyone online that she was sleeping over using my laptop and when she was passing it back to me, told the webmaster as well. When I logged onto, my laptop was pinged continuously for an hour. I couldn’t do work because the laptop kept getting pings for IP and MAC address. I PMed the web team to ask them to stop becaise I need tp work. My friend’s account got suspected of being dubious. ie. I’m Asian but I can also be a tall hot blonde. No such metamorphic skills.

She told them, and yet they still used the very same technique to conclude I was her and she was me.

Then I got kicked to aBW, and then I got my profile pick removed. I called Erik W and Joe R the new CEO. Both hung up in my face. That after doing some good work voluntarily. You’d think theyd address me given my contribution. No, Louise’s crack web team was the one standard we measure our response by.

I thought I would get a courtesy call today, but instead I got it from aSW support saying I should go find something else. Yes. Something else more professionally run. I truly believe if one didn’t think they agree with my behavior, that theyd explain it to me on the phone. It was an easily 100k job I did for free, I dont even get a professional courtesy call.

What ingrates. What cowards. What kind of people are those people. Find you want to paint yourself as more than you are. Then I will make it my mission to paint you in the real light you are. We will see who can SEO and outblog each other. I can spare another 50k of time revealing the true hypocrisy of the network. How management does not have the grace that it expects its members to have.

When you have cowards and ingrates at the top, and you try to attract smart people, you gonna get called out all the time. You only want good press but not real journalistic pieces on you? CNBC, Swedish DocuTV, Dubai TV Channels. — Let me show you what a fair and balanced report is. Let me also remind you I copyrighted my recommendations to a T. Its the print at the bottom.

You think all I am capable of is low grade humor. I will show everyone else how aSW mgmt is a a low-rent tux of a joke.

You have unceremoniously kicked out your last one night stand. Guess she got knocked up this time. And now you have the baby devil to deal with.

I quote my favorite fruitseller: How do you like them apples now.

~ by yvyvyny on May 26, 2007.
One Response to “Shameful and Cowardly aSmallWorld Management”

1.

Its a pyramid scheme/
Celebs who arent on it, if listed by press to be on it
aint gonna call themsevles out
they dont know what the consequences are?… so advised…

listen if they’re that cool they didnt need to erroneously list you as a member

yvyvyny said this on May 27th, 2007 at 5:14 pm (edit)

[wael]

hi

as simple as this :

Plz , an invitation to Doostang :)

waelabdo@gmail.com

see ya

[oguzhan]

Hi everyone!

I would greatly appreciate if someone can send me an invitation to Doostang at odemirhan@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance

Oguzhan