Failin.gs Is A Bad Idea

Kashmir Hill, in a post in which she examines the privacy gaffes of Google Buzz, Facebook, and Chatroulette, mentioned a new offering from Urban Daddy called Failin.gs:

Urban Daddy wants to turn friends against one another. It plans to launch Failin.gs. In an email inviting users to try a beta version, Urban Daddy says:

Welcome to Failin.gs, a dangerous new website where your friends can post what they really think of you, all with a cloak of total anonymity, in beta now.

In short, it’s the ideal spot for a no-holds-barred conversation about…long-festering feelings regarding your co-workers, friends and sworn archenemies. If you’re eager to face your critics (and really, you’ve got nothing to fear), you can sign up for a profile. Then you’ll send it to your friends (and/or frienemies) via Twitter, Facebook or email. They’ll be able to leave a tweet-length comment that’s meant to inspire improvement (”Your remarkable rainmaking skills are embarrassing the rest of us at the firm”), all without revealing their identities. If you disagree, you can say so with a vote; if your friends insist, they can also say so with a vote. (Basically, it’s like high school all over again.)

Well, that sounds… terrible.

I agree with Kashmir. This is just an invitation for crap behavior.