By Amanda Alfanos, Web Editor
A new way of breaking the ice is receiving mixed student reviews.
LikeALittle.com, a website that allows users to flirt anonymously, was localized in February at OCU.
The website also was adopted by University of Oklahoma in Norman and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
It’s localized on more then 450 college campuses and was founded in October at Stanford University, according to the website’s press forum.
The website gives students the option of posting nameless messages in hopes of scoring their love interest’s attention or maybe a date. Site users identify their prospective mate by sex, hair color and location when posting a comment.
“You can tell them and get it out there, so you don’t have to tell your friends,” said Jennifer Long, acting freshman. “And it’s anonymous, and they might find out that you like them, so you can start talking.”
Long, who is an OCU LikeALittle administrator along with Tabitha Rooney, acting freshman, said she heard about the website from a friend who attends OSU. She then e-mailed Evan Reis, a LikeALittle.com founder, about starting the OCU page.
“He told me that he wants everything to be clean, and he doesn’t want anything inappropriate because he wants it to stay strictly anonymous,” she said. “I go in and delete any posts that are just stupid or have names in them.”
About 340 posts had been made at LikeALittle.com/OKCU at presstime. There initially were about five posts per day, but now there are many, Long said. This doesn’t include the posts Long removed, which have been “a lot,” she said.
A post about Antoine McNair, dance performance sophomore, caused the subject to question the website’s post removal process.
The comment reads: “You’re a cute tiny black boy who usually wears pink. You are the most adorable and make me smile everyday with your Asian antics. Notice me cutie the way I notice you. I can make your cat whistle.”
McNair said he is not happy about it and finds it offensive.
“If you have something to say and it’s reasonable, say it to their face,” he said.
Students are trying to keep it rated PG, but when they go past that and it’s way too sexual, it’s time to take the post down, Long said.
“If you’re not going to take it seriously, then don’t post on it,” she said.
The website has an automatic filter that screens out negative words or phrases, but threats, stalking and telling someone they have been cheated on are among things the site’s moderator is responsible for removing, according to official LikeALittle rules.
Students should flag posts they deem offensive, Long said.
Courtney Cahen, acting junior, said she compares LikeALittle to Craigslist’s missed connections.
“That’s creepy,” she said. “If you like someone, you should tell it to their face.”
She said a friend in high school was mentioned on the Craigslist forum.
“It was very interesting,” she said. “It was an older man who was attracted to him at Starbucks.
“It was just very creepy actually.”
Jody Horn, sociology professor, said she doesn’t have large concerns about the website because no sexual content is allowed.
“The only thing I would be concerned about is that I worry about students not being able to communicate,” she said.
To sign up for the website visit LikeALittle.com/OKCU. Interested users must have a student e-mail.
This article initially appeared in the March 9 issue of The Campus newspaper.
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