Everloop
© 2011 Everloop
Originally launched in 2009, Everloop has been described as "Facebook for Kids." It is limited to children under 15 years of age, although it was possible for me -- many times over 15 -- to easily set up an account and gain access, posing as my daughter. It is easy to register and monitor one or more kids. Accounts must be verified and linked to an adult's account, which requires either a $1 charge to a credit card, or a social security number check. Parents are sent frequent email updates about what their child does. Business model: Everloop is free to use, but offers children extra items that require "evercredits." These credits can be earned by playing games or inviting other friends, or you can buy them with real money. 2000 "evercredits" cost about $20; that's enough to "goob" somebody many times (fill a friends screen with popcorn). Everloop likes to have the parent's credit card, both for identity verification reasons and to pay for things. Children can request more credits online, which generates an email to the parent. In addition, Everloop generates an email account for your child automatically. The interface seems clean, and can be customized. Once you're on Everloop, you can chat with friends, play solid but mindless Flash games, and share movies and pictures. Another unique feature is real time communication, using SMS and VoIP, features we did not test. The service is only as good as the number of friends that have signed up for it. There's no way to communicate outside the wall. Everloop was rebuilt (and refunded) in the Spring of 2011 with a safety twist and a partnership with iSafe. See also Disney's Togetherville.
Windows, Mac OSX, Internet Site
Teaches: social networking for kids