Web community company GeoCities Inc has joined with Be Free Inc, a provider of ecommerce network technology and services. The two companies hope to create an infrastructure which will allow merchants to use the content generated by GeoCities’ 3.3 million Homesteaders, as the builders of free web sites on GeoCities are known, rather than having to come up with interesting content of their own. Be Free will make it possible for merchants to partner with Homesteaders, placing products and services in context on the Homesteaders’ personal pages. For their part, GeoCities members are to earn commissions on what they sell. Meanwhile Warner Bros has teamed with up-and-coming web community company FortuneCity.com. The first phase of the joint venture is an entertainment-oriented community network to be called ACMEcity. Warner Bros says it will promote ACMEcity through its established and new media properties. The studio is also taking an equity position in FortuneCity – a sound investment if last year’s spectacular community company IPOs are a reliable guide. Unfortunately, they probably aren’t.
