The recent phenomenon of so called "Gated Online Communities" seems to be catching on. Most of us are used to stand behind the velvet rope and wait patiently for a grim looking individual to let us pass the barrier and grant us entry into the "exclusive" and "hip" clubs. This is a well known ritual around the world repeating itself every Saturday or any other Party night of the week.

After being introduced to the mass concept of "Social Online Networking" through sites like friendster and other "open" online communities, where everybody could join, we now know how the real life concept of being rejected by the bouncer feels in cyber space, thank's to sites like http://www.aSmallWorld.net and http://www.OutOrIn.net. The third in line which is by invitation only is http://www.orkut.com by Google,which can not be added to the list after exceeding 12 Mio. members.

Just a few month ago nobody would have thought that the "snobiness" and sense of exclusive circle and the feeling of belonging to the hip crowd could be surpassed thanks to the strict requirements of the "by invitation only" introduced by the now already commercial and well known aSmallWorld closed community site, when a new player appears on the virtual club scene of gated social networking site, which are only a handful at this point and proclaims to have the strictest requirements of any Social Networking or Gated Community Site on the Internet. After looking at the application process of both competitors I could not avoid thinking "what comes next" and "who are these people so desperate to join these sites offering thousands of dollars to get an invitation"?

Where it was relatively easy to join the http://www.aSmallWorld.net Community Site, just with an invite by another member, http://www.OutOrIn.net makes it a lot harder, and trying to discourage potential members even about thinking to join, with requirements like "You need to have attended a prestigious university or boarding school" or "You need to be a member of a Members Only Club".

After having fulfilled all the criteria you will be happy and excited to receive your membership, join and have the feeling of being "one in a million" - not so fast - the membership application still need's to pass the committee! But do not let me discourage you, specially if your extremely wealthy and well connected!