C-4 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE Pride Guide 2001
City-specific gay web portals thrive in dot-com downturn
by Kaizaad Kotwal
Columbus-In times when waves of dot.com ventures are failing left and right, Out in America is proving to be a notable exception.
The group of 62 city-specific gay web sites, based in Columbus, is bucking all trends and growing exponentially as many Internet contemporaries—including Gaywired.com and PlanetOut.com-are having a hard time staying afloat.
On-line usage normally declines during spring and summer. Yet Out in Americacurrently the second-largest gay-specific Internet portal, behind PlanetOut.com-is watching its numbers rise steadily. Since December, membership is up 300 percent. The site receives 1 million visitors a month.
According to Jarred Hunnell, who serves as company co-CEO with Gregg McConnell, the organization “is breaking records every day."
Out in America was conceived late in 1996 and officially founded in 1997 by Hunnell, McConnell and Coley Commiskey. Hunnell writes the majority of the programming code, managing servers, networks and site traffic. McConnell is the financial specialist, securing sponsorships and advertising, as well as directing sales and other business-management issues.
McConnell believes that Out in America's continued success is a result of the way in which it has managed its resources, “staying conservative and yet highly efficient." The company has also steered clear of venture capitalists, who, according to McConnell, are the "vultures of the Internet industry."
At the time of Out in America's conception, America Online was struggling with constant crashes, slow connectivity speeds and other technical glitches. According to McConnell, Out in America started as "a local chat room for Columbus (OutinColumbus.com) that people could get to easily." What started as a chat concept was dramatically altered even before the site was launched.
Explained Hunnell, "Once we had started this site as an on-line magazine for Columbus, we thought, 'This isn't so hard, let's do it for another city.' " A year and a half ago,
"Once we had started this site as an on-line magazine for Columbus, we thought: This isn't so hard, let's do it for another city."
they registered all the “Out in" city names, as well as other possible site names such as Out in Hollywood, Out in the News and Out in College.
Today, under its umbrella name, the company offers 62 city-specific sites. Within the next few months, Out in America will expand to 130 cities, with international growth planned in Mexico and other parts of the world.
As it exists today, the site is "mainly a way for people to connect with one another in a safe and anonymous way if needed," says McConnell.
Editor-at-large Andy Scahill, who manages a network of writers nationwide, says, "Our mission is to provide people with local resources for services, information and other needs particular to GLBT folk."
McConnell and Scahill say Out in America has been an immense boon to individuals, young or old, in the process of coming out and seeking a safe way in which to explore their options, their identity and their culture.
Out in America has a leg up on PlanetOut.com and Gaywired.com in that it emphasizes localization, tailoring information specific to the demographics in a particular geographic locale. This is particularly important as gay cultures begin to thrive
Chagrin Valley Little Theatre
presents
Our 72nd Season
July 13-August 18 CHICAGO
(Musical) Revival of legendary choreographer Bob Fosse's darkly comic musical about Two murderesses who rise to the top of 1920 Chicago's entertainment scene.
October 5-27 ANY NUMBER CAN DIE
(Comedy/Mystery) Humorous takeoff of the mystery plays of the 1920's. Four ingenlous murders take place in an island mansion as a pair of elderly detectives work on their first case.
November 23-December 30 ANNIE
(Musical) The sun will come out tomorrow for Annie, her orphan friends and Depression-era millionaire Daddy Warbucks.
January 18-February 9 'ART'
(Comedy) Winner of the 1998 Tony for Best Play. Three old friends square off over a controversial piece of art, begging the question, "What is art, and why does it affect us so passionately?".
March 1-March 23 THE LION IN WINTER
(Sophisticated Comedy/Drama) Uneasy is the head that wears the crown, and uneasy is the truce between King Henry III, his Queen and their three sons. Superb dialogue makes this a classic.
April 19-May 11 SEE HOW THEY RUN
(Farce) An assortment of American visitors and British members of the clergy gallop in and out of the four doors of a vicarage.
May 31-June 22
OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS
(Comedy) Nick is a single, Italian/American guy from Jersey who sees his grandparents for dinner every Sunday. When he is offered his dream job in Seattle, his close-knit family schemes to keep him around!
July 11-August 17 THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD
(Musical) Winner of 5 Tony's, including Best Musical. The solve-it-yourself ending gives a unique twist to this lighthearted mystery.
BOX OFFICE: 440-247-8955
40 River Street Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
.
Gregg McConnell, Jarred Hunnel and Andy Scahill
outside of their previous hotbeds of San Francisco and New York.
Out in America has recently entered into agreements with other content providers such as OutSports.com, GayTN.com, GayHealth.com and Gay Financial Network (GFN.com), in addition to forming alliances with gay and lesbian newspapers including the Stonewall Journal, the Las Vegas Bugle and the Gay People's Chronicle.
The site offers a plethora of information from local entertainment options and organizational resources to health information and personals. All the services on Out in America are free for registered users and visitors alike. The company makes its revenues via advertising. Two New York companies, Doubleclick and 24-7 Media, manage Out in America's advertisers, who include national and local entities.
Q. Afraid of the Dentist?
KAIZAAD KOTWAL
The owners and the staff of Out in America are particular about the type of advertising they accept. As with many gay publications, online or print, the issue of porn advertising is a concern.
"We have a real hard time with pornography and try not to use such vendors as advertisers," said Hunnell. Scahill, Hunnell, and McConnell all believe that such advertising "takes us down a few notches and our legitimacy is compromised."
McConnell said his greatest benefit is the satisfaction he feels when someone writes in to say they "met the love of their life through Out in America and that they have been together for four years now."
Four years from now, who knows, maybe McConnell, Hunnell and Scahill will see their dreams of becoming the number one site of their type on the Internet.
A. 226-3800 It's normal! We can help! We're absolutely dedicated to providing your family's dental care as comfortably as is modernly possible. We welcome cowards.
Q. Afraid of the Cost?
A. 226-3800 Our various payment options take the fear out of dental expense. We welcome most insurances and gladly accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover. We also have interest-free financing packages available.
Q. Afraid to take the Time?
A. 226-3800 Our early morning, evening and Saturday office hours will take the worry out of interfering with your busy schedule.
COMFORT
DENTAL GROUP
DAVID M. RAIFFE, D.D.S. & ASSOCIATES (216) 226-3800
15901 Hilliard Rd.
(corner of Hilliard and Madison) Lakewood, Ohio
Lower Than Average Fees!
$500
REG. $6800
Exam, Cavity-Detecting X-rays, and
Cosmetic Consultation (cannot be combined with other offers)