Spielberg to launch UFO and paranormal social network?

Jesse Perez

3/5/2008 10:53:00 AM.

Hollywood mega-director Steven Spielberg is reportedly setting up a social network for people interested in paranormal and extra-terrestrial activity, inspired by his own personal experiences with the unknown.

The focus of the network will be on people who have an interest in, or have experienced paranormal phenomena, and the network may feature multimedia content of UFO sightings, paranormal activity and user-based content.

Stories of Speilberg's own personal experiences with ghosts are widely known; his stay in the Excelsior House led him to become so frightened by alleged ghosts that he fled the room and moved 20 miles away, forming the inspiration for the movie 'Poltergiest'.

The network may have been originally in development with Yahoo, but the project was abandoned before it was launched. But reports suggest that the idea lives on, and a team of developers are aiming for a mid-year launch.

Article with reader comments:

http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/03/05/Spielberg_to_launch_UFO_and_paranormal_social_network

IS SPIELBERG'S 'GHOST' IN THE MACHINE, OR IS IT REAL?

E.T. director is launching UFO-themed web site

By JAY FRASCO, News Editor

http://www.ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=5900

Published 3/13/2008

LOCATION: Your browser

THE SKINNY: Steven Spielberg and ex-Yahoo CEO Terry Semel will be launching a social networking web site with Ghosts and UFOs as the theme, reported TechCrunch.

The currently untitled site will have a permanent host, with original video content being its draw. So if you saved that 1984 footage from the time a glowing sphere touched down in your backyard and flew away with your dog, soon you'll have a place to upload it.

Look for mine called, "Buster? …Buster!!!"

But seriously, why not? Semel is arranging the financing through his Windsor Media, and in terms of genre and subject matter, Spielberg has decades of experience delivering the goods.

The biggest hurdle I see may be if too much content on the site is clearly "hoaxy," for lack of a better word. Face it, we live in a cynical society (for instance, even with cold hard evidence, many people still think global warming is a sham). So, imagine how scathing viewer response will be if they are subject to, let's say, the popular "flying saucers" video set in Haiti last year that was quickly debunked six ways to Sunday.

Rest assured, iF will let you know when the site launches. Until then, keep your camcorders powered and make sure there's a tape in the deck.

Source: TechCrunch

Steven Spielberg's Ghost/UFO Social Network To Be Called The Rising

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/21/AR2008052100742.html

Michael Arrington
TechCrunch.com
Wednesday, May 21, 2008; 3:09 PM

More details on Steven Spielberg's upcoming ghost and UFO based social network, which we first wrote about in early March and followed up with additional details a week later. The site will reportedly be called "Rising" or "The Rising" (our understanding is that they have acquired both .com domain names), and the logo above and animated logo below are at least preliminary versions of the final.

We originally heard that The Rising is being created in partnership with Windsor Media, Terry Semel?s investment firm, but we still haven't gotten confirmation of their involvement. Windsor was created by Semel before he went to Yahoo, was put on hold during his tenure there, and fired up again after his departure last year.

The Rising will have original video content with a permanent host in addition to the social network where users can share stories and experiences, tapping into serious demand for this kind of thing. There are thousands of forums dedicated to paranormal and UFO topics today - among them is, yes, a Meetup site for ghost trackers.

Rumored launch date is this summer.