For the Post

In the '90s, a/s/l (age/sex/location) was the most common way of starting a chat-room conversation. But in the new millennium, there's a different virtual entertainment phenomenon sweeping the Czech Republic.

"I believe young people spend so much time on Líbímseti because it enables communication with an astounding number of more or less interesting people," says Oldřich Neuberger, founder and owner of the Web site www.libimseti.cz. "All these people have different interests, opinions, ideas and perceptions of the world, and they like to be seen and heard."

Freedom of expression, coupled with the fact that the site is in Czech, has proven to be extremely attractive for young Czechs. In a country where many households still do not have a computer, let alone an Internet connection, the 800,000 user accounts and 120,000 hits per day reported by Líbímseti are more than astounding.

Neuberger established Líbímseti — roughly translated, "Do you like me?" — in February 2002, using the popular Hotornot.com as a model. His site was the first in the Czech Republic that allowed users to introduce themselves by photos as well as text. It offered a unique blend of chatting, dating and sharing interests. More recently it's grown to include an online magazine, Spicy, and an online radio service, among other innovations.

"It reacts to what people crave," says Nikycek, a 20-year-old Prague woman. "There is the magazine, video chat, regular parties and meetings."

The beauty of it is that users are the sole contributors to these projects. As a result, members not only have access to online messaging and video chatting, but can become amateur DJs or journalists. While there are other sites based on the same principle (for example, ukazse.cz, palec.cz, lide.cz), Líbímseti is the one that's captured the younger generation's attention.

"The site is original because of its functions and design, which are simple and well-arranged, with very nice execution," says Erik, 17, from Prague.

And it fulfills the basic function of an online community, which is simply to meet other people. Sebastian Paczesny, 23, from Písek, south Bohemia, readily admits he joined to meet women. "I set up an account to meet new girls, chat and flirt, and in the end I met the love of my life and a bunch of really good friends," he says.

Neuberger even received a wedding invitation from two people who met on the site. "It's nice that they actually want me there," he says.

Like their Western counterparts, some young Czechs are finding that being online can be addictive. "A friend showed me the site and I liked what I saw," says 22-year-old Jiří Bednář. "Two months later, I found myself logged on four hours a day and wasting away my life, so I quit."

That may be extreme, but almost every user contacted for this story says that he or she logs on at least once a day. For those who lose the distinction between virtual and real life, the consequences may be far-reaching, according to Simona Elšáková, 35, from Zlín, south Moravia.

"Many people get so attached to the virtual that they then can't meet anyone unless they have pár panákĚ [a couple shots of alcohol]," she says. "They fear rejection and instead try to get to meet people through the comfort of their computer monitor."