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October 27, 2007

Do The Right Thing: Save An Alien (and this startup)

Michael Arrington

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If a Facebook application supporting Stephen Colbert can get 1 million members in nine days, then perhaps Save An Alien, an Israeli Facebook-only startup, can reach their goal of 10 million users in six months.

I sure hope they do, anyway. Otherwise a bunch of cute little aliens are going to die.

The plot line is straightforward: a meteor is going to strike an alien planet in six months and kill the entire population (10 million aliens, each uniquely generated by an algorithm). We’re asked to adopt these aliens. When you’ve selected the one you like, you adopt it and the alien is transported to safety in Antarctica. You can then do a few other things - download images of it, use a tool to add images of your alien into your own photos, etc.

And if you really like your alien you can buy a tshirt with it on it. I imagine other revenue generating merchandising opportunities may be thought up later, too.

Good idea. We’ll see if people’s altruistic tendencies extend to fictional aliens. If they do, this company could make a few dollars along the way. 14,000 aliens have been saved so far, so go do your part (or perhaps donate your time and money to a real charity instead).

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This entry was posted on Saturday, October 27th, 2007 at 4:22 am and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  1. My virtual good deed for the day. : joshoverland.com

    October 29th, 2007 at 8:38 pm

  2. Save an Alien, with Facebook « Just Mo

    October 30th, 2007 at 1:34 am

Comments

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  1. Ronster

    October 27th, 2007 at 4:37 am

    Oh no, not another one of “do-this-or-the-kitten-dies-in-six-months” types. The same thing happened with 1 million dollar homepage.

  2. garoo

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:33 am

    I like how the choose-your-alien interface is made, but a Facebook application that asks for my e-mail? Yeah right, dream on.

  3. Roy

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:39 am

    Yey, a facebook app that really gives you somthing back.
    your own unique alien, and its a social alien.
    you can take photos with it (they go into your facebook albums). get its desktop/IPhone wallpaper, and many other stuff should be comming soon.

  4. Wayt King

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:52 am

    “(or perhaps donate your time and money to a real charity instead)”

    If any of you altruistic TechCrunchers out there are looking for a way to help out a real charity, check out BlueSchoolhouse.com and keep a Guatemalan kid in school for a year for only $100. Thanks.

  5. Mayank Kumar

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:54 am

    I am going to make an app that says comet will now strike antartica and u need to take them sumwhere else. Lets see how many fall for it :D

  6. Robert MacEwan

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:55 am

    @Roy, 3 hours later and it isn’t loading from Facebook.

  7. Mark Zuckerberg

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:04 am

    Personally I don’t care about charity and the homeless. As long as they keep their cardboard boxes off my freshly mowed lawn everything will be fine. It is cool that 15 per cent of Americans control the country’s wealth. The remaining 85 per cent have to toil week in and week out.

  8. asssa3000

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:11 am

    Mike.
    I do not mean to be anti - semitic, but you tend to be a buyest in terms of Israeli startups.

  9. Kilroy

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:27 am

    Mike,
    You really need to stop smoking the Facebook crack.

    You call this news?

    This is a waste of our time. You really need to stop doing so many Facebook stories.

    The world does not revolve around Facebook.

  10. BRadC

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:27 am

    Cynical and wearisome. Marketing for the sake of marketing with extra saccharine thrown in so we’re not immediately revulsed by the pungently bitter taste of inexcusable opportunism. They are offering precisely nothing except an exercise in brand building.

    The Chinpokomon style “gotta get them all” when directed at 4 year-olds is at best distasteful, but when adults buy into this kind of nonsense it’s a damning indictment of the lack of faith they demonstrate in their own personality by virtue of the fact that it needs to be propped up by tastelessly conspicuous bandwagon jumping.

    I hope to see this utter waste of 1s and 0s in the deadpool gathering dust before long. However, my (lack of) faith in the power the population in general to stand up to this sugar coated, fatuous and vacuous drivel dictates that that’s just wishful thinking.

  11. sputnick

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:40 am

    When I see the incredibly sophisticated technology required to make the Internet work put to frivolous and silly uses such as this, I cannot help but predict the impending doom of civilization as we know it. If you want to save humanity, never mind the little characters, then avoid sites like these at all costs.

  12. BRadC

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:53 am

    @8. asssa3000:

    Poppycock boy, pure poppycock. You are incorrect on all counts, and here’s why:
    1) It’s not anti-Semitic to suggest that Arrington is biased towards Israeli startups, it’s just wrong. It happens that there are a number of innovative and well thought out startups coming out of that country, belying it’s small size. This just isn’t one of them. Many are getting the attention and coverage they deserve, and rightly so - long may it continue, however,

    2) This so called story owes more to the ongoing fascination Arrington continues to show to the minutia of Facebook and it’s surrounding ecosystem. Becoming more confusing and sickeningly predictable with every passing article.

    Arrington, enough of this non-news and do your job.

  13. Andrew

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:53 am

    Well I tried. I found a very cute little guy, agreed to the adoption terms and then:

    “Error while loading page from Save An Alien

    There are still a few kinks Facebook and the makers of Save An Alien are trying to iron out. We appreciate your patience as we try to fix these issues. Your problem has been logged - if it persists, please come back in a few days. Thanks!”

    I wonder if Brad and Angelina had this much trouble with their adoptions.

  14. sam

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:55 am

    If this works, it will be just another example that too many people have way too much time on their hands.

    Come on people, you hopefully can find better things to do with your time and money!

    Only a good idea for dumb people.

  15. Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet

    October 27th, 2007 at 8:03 am

    Trang Web khoa Tự Nhiên

  16. Aibek

    October 27th, 2007 at 8:07 am

    People … With over 600 K subscriber even some trivial post may generate considerable amount of feedburner pageviews. I think it’s not just Techcrunch but any major publication does the same thing.

  17. Steve Spalding

    October 27th, 2007 at 9:19 am

    As a bit of marketing slight of hand, this is actually way better than Super Poke or any of its 150,000 derivations.

    This just adds fuel to the fire that Facebook is now exactly what it has always been, a tool for people to keep up with their off line social networks online. Or more specifically, a tool for college students to stalk their friends and see what happened at that party they missed last weekend (I suggest everyone speak to a college Freshman about Facebook before writing your next piece about it recreating the “social graph”)

    It’s not designed, nor was it ever meant to be a tool for serious communication. That doesn’t mean it is not a great product, it just means that you shouldn’t be surprised when you see stuff like this. In fact, I would be almost surprised if it wasn’t successful.

  18. Andrew

    October 27th, 2007 at 9:59 am

    before saving the aliens please save Toby http://www.savetoby.com/

    oops. he is saved already

  19. FakeMA

    October 27th, 2007 at 10:49 am

    WTF Aliens on Facebook, Someone will make money with social networking for interplanetary web

  20. KirkH

    October 27th, 2007 at 10:52 am

    Why doesn’t someone start a “Starving Human” facebook app? With donations going to real people starving in Africa. You could give them a facebook account even if they never logged on. I’d do it but I’m already working on a differentFacebook app.

    Of course the hard part is sneaking the money/food past corrupt officials, trying not to put local farmers out of work, and figuring out how to hire Bono.

  21. Revolutionist

    October 27th, 2007 at 11:26 am

    After TechCrunch’s tight crunch on Epson’s new ‘Epsonality’ website, I don’t see how they justify this; surely this is the same, if not worse.

  22. Sprague Dawley

    October 27th, 2007 at 11:28 am

    No, no, no. You guys are all missing the point: the perpetrators of this ghastly idiocy are *trying* to make the frontpage of uncov. In a market glutted with hype and positive spin the only way to really get noticed is by being called out by Ted Dziuba.

    Ted is the new Mike.

  23. karen

    October 27th, 2007 at 12:43 pm

    Hi Guys,
    I think this is amazing app !!!
    very nice idea with cool graphic.

  24. Neil Sandhu

    October 27th, 2007 at 12:58 pm

    Its actually pretty ingenious in its simplicity and in getting users to join a network baited by saving some cute little fictional creature, which they will do (I just saved a little guy).

  25. Tal

    October 27th, 2007 at 1:39 pm

    Cool application, so simple and viral… you’ve got to try it.

  26. elvirs

    October 27th, 2007 at 1:46 pm

    offtop:
    Techcrunch PageRank dropped from 8 to 7? or it was 7 for some time?

  27. MeetingFlex.com

    October 27th, 2007 at 1:47 pm

    I wonder how people get such amazingly unpredictable un-imaginably practical and altruistically innovative and yet applied to down to earth common concept like adopting a pet.

    Somebody is really thinking hard….so they deserve a cheer for that…at least it is not a me-too concept.

    http://www.meetingflex.com
    Video+Social Networking

  28. Chris

    October 27th, 2007 at 2:00 pm

    I have no opinion of these virtual aliens.

  29. Smiley

    October 27th, 2007 at 2:08 pm

    The aliens look like toy…they dont look as nice as those aliens in men in black…damn im working on a video game that will make some nice looking aliens!

  30. Boogey Man

    October 27th, 2007 at 2:15 pm

    i eat little aliens for breakfast.

    as for the concept - it sucks, by the way

  31. Javi

    October 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pm

    Nah, just chop them aliens up, stew them in a pot, and add spring onions, should taste like chicken.

    gotta hand it to those guys, it’s one creative way of promoting their site.

  32. Amit Chowdhry

    October 27th, 2007 at 2:49 pm

    Someone send this web site to rich Scientologists

  33. Smiley

    October 27th, 2007 at 3:12 pm

    Who said aliens taste like chicken? I ate them before they taste like crap. lol

  34. mmt

    October 27th, 2007 at 3:26 pm

    whatever.

  35. Shams

    October 27th, 2007 at 4:04 pm

    Michael, Techcrunch is still a good place to come and know some industry things. Keep the quality good. Don’t go too cheap.

  36. Ricky Bobby

    October 27th, 2007 at 4:11 pm

    @Andrew (#18), the latest on the toby saga:

    http://flickr.com/photos/yolandefoto/1505937533/

    R.I.P.

  37. Joe T.

    October 27th, 2007 at 4:42 pm

    I see the appeal here, but how many people see the gruesome subtext — the “alien planet” is Israel, the “meteor” is an Iranian nuke, and the “aliens” are the poor, vulnerable Israelis…

  38. BRadC

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:02 pm

    @37. Joe T.

    Dry up.

  39. exapted

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:02 pm

    It keeps crashing Firefox when I try to upload my image. And I think its great that Michael posted this. Save An Alien is a very clever application of social applications and viral marketing. In order to build software that facilitates social interaction you have to get consumers to cooperate, and consumers like cute things… Wish I thought of that idea.

  40. Steve Jobs

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:27 pm

    This is GREAT!

    …for the sheep of the world.

  41. Steve Ballmer

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:32 pm

    PLEASE! Do not join!
    I prefer my aliens dead! Preferablly disintergrated!

    http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

  42. Ultimate EnerGI

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:41 pm

    It keeps crashing Firefox. Save An Alien is a very clever application of social applications and viral marketing. In order to build software that facilitates social interaction you have to get consumers to cooperate, and consumers like cute things… Wish I thought of that idea.
    PLEASE! Do not join!
    I prefer my aliens dead! Preferablly disintergrated!

    http://ultimate-energi.com

  43. MeetingFlex.com

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:44 pm

    Aliens are like hotcakes…..they always sell.

    http://www.meetingflex.com
    Video+Social Networking+Speed-FacebookCrap

  44. Mark

    October 27th, 2007 at 5:54 pm

    Stupid post, arrington. How about using it to discuss a startup that actually does something.

  45. think floyd

    October 27th, 2007 at 6:48 pm

    Is there an end in sight to these annoying, silly, juvenile FB apps?

  46. David Mackey

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:11 pm

    How cow. This is extremely lame.

  47. Mimi Lenox

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:12 pm

    Let’s all do something worthwhile. Adopting imaginary people is just not appealing to me. But blogging for peace is….which is why I came over her in the first place and then I got all caught up in the Facebook idea. Oh please. But intriguing nonetheless. Here’s what’s happening. Read on….

    A special day is coming up on my blog and in the blogosphere. Bloggers are set to blog for peace November 7, 2007.

    I invite you to join me - and a cast of incredible bloggers - as we mark our world with a promise of peace. Bloggers from around the world including 30 countries (and counting)and nearly every state in the United States will participate in BlogBlast for Peace.I hope you will participate in this growing phenomenon.
    Your blog. One post. One day. Please spread the word.
    How To Get Your Peace Globe
    Thank you,
    Mimi Lenox

  48. Breck

    October 27th, 2007 at 7:44 pm

    Michael,

    How many Hawaiian rum punches did you down before posting this article?

  49. Chris Cardinal

    October 27th, 2007 at 8:11 pm

    So what you’re saying is that if these aliens told you what Epson printer was right for them, it would be a “sucky” web site, but since it merely serves NO purpose, you want to plug it? Or maybe Epson would have turned the corner if they offered aliens and won your approval.

    Gone are the days when I go to TC to learn about new and interesting web properties with a low signal to noise ratio. Now it’s more like Digg: I have to expect a certain amount of complete and utter shite to glaze over.

    And yes, to each their own, but seriously? Alien avatars? Are we going to link to smiley/downloadable, talking emoticons as the next big thing now?

    This post almost feels like you did it as a favor for a friend. Stop lobbing them over the plate for uncov, for chrissake.

  50. Yelp Sucks

    October 27th, 2007 at 8:15 pm

    die

  51. Boogey Man

    October 27th, 2007 at 8:27 pm

    @48
    Only girly men drink hawaiian rum punches

  52. Nick

    October 27th, 2007 at 8:52 pm

    This shit is wack! If this becomes popular I hope the world implodes.

  53. epilasyon

    October 27th, 2007 at 9:24 pm

    Thank you for this great work

  54. rebecca

    October 27th, 2007 at 9:52 pm

    aliens we’re a good break from the fire but i’d rather have the rum.
    still live from san diego………….

  55. Alex H

    October 27th, 2007 at 10:00 pm

    I don’t usually mind the Facebook posts because it’s a very important topic now in the industry. But, this isn’t.

    There are plenty more useful things about Facebook Apps that you could be posting about.

    Keep the the good work regardless.

  56. douschebag

    October 27th, 2007 at 10:13 pm

    Hey Mike

    Stop taking kickbacks from Israeli startups desperate to get their product out there. This blog is in ruins and today will be my last day reading this shit! Show some decency and judgement when choosing material to write.

  57. douschebag

    October 27th, 2007 at 10:14 pm

    Oh yeah one more thing!

    You’re starting to make Valleywag- a gossip rag- look a lot more credible than you.

  58. Kraken

    October 27th, 2007 at 10:22 pm

    Ladies and gentlemen, TC has jumped the shark. That’s all.

  59. Smiley

    October 27th, 2007 at 10:49 pm

    lets kill some alien bunggies!

  60. Bruce

    October 27th, 2007 at 10:59 pm

    Alien babies anyone?

  61. san

    October 27th, 2007 at 11:13 pm

    #sam:14
    i agree… those that do it… i wonder how much did their country’s GDP grow for the past few months and cmg months… what a productive way to spend your time :)

  62. Markus J

    October 28th, 2007 at 12:01 am

    Mr. Arrington;
    There are tech startups everyday that hope and dream for a techcrunch.com feature; it really makes or breaks them. Instead you publicize this garbage. I am truly disappointed in this. This may seem like an overreaction, but I believe it is justified because your site is not an amateur blog, it is a running business that has a responsibility. I really feel like if you are going to publish this nonsense, then your blog is not worth my time. Sorry if I come off as offensive.

  63. Mr Jackson

    October 28th, 2007 at 12:04 am

    TechCrunch, you should really taking money from sponsors which you $10,000 a month to post articles on their products. We come to your site for the real news, so if you stop delivering that we’ll just slowly start going elsewhere. No site lasts forever.

    You’re already making a fortune off regular ads, don’t go so overboard and change the focus on your site to just make another quick buck. It’s just too much.

    -Valuable Reader

  64. Mr Jackson

    October 28th, 2007 at 12:04 am

    Correction to post above: You should really *stop* taking money from sponsors

  65. Boogey Man

    October 28th, 2007 at 12:05 am

    @62

    if your startup is solely relying on TC to write about them, as your make or break strategy, than you’re not a real business.

    if you don’t have other means or marketing and promotion, than just hoping to get a TC writeup - dream on

  66. Alvis

    October 28th, 2007 at 12:28 am

    It may be frivolous and buggy as hell, but it is one sticky little game that could go huge. A lot of other Facebook devs could learn a thing or two about virality by studying what makes this gizmo so gosh-damned fun. Nice structure, sets the stakes, uses cute aliens, allows to you to pick one and develop attachment, pulls you into a little alien social network, is a novelty for sure - but that adds to the virality.

    @ #20. KirkH — I like that line of thought. Altruistic / Fun facebook apps will for sure funnel money/attention/social points to good causes.

  67. Nir

    October 28th, 2007 at 12:57 am

    I love it.
    Facebook should be a platform for fun. Saving aliens is fun.

  68. Dave

    October 28th, 2007 at 1:29 am

    Aliens on Facebook- good strategy seems facebook, yep it would be fun time. :)

  69. Dave

    October 28th, 2007 at 1:29 am

    Aliens on Facebook- good strategy, yep it would be fun time. :)

  70. Markus

    October 28th, 2007 at 2:25 am

    I for one, welcome our new…. … oh never mind.

  71. mikea

    October 28th, 2007 at 5:02 am

    BradC you’re an idiot. Stop polluting this blog and go play in traffic (or run for local office - you seem like the perfect fit for govt)

  72. BRadC

    October 28th, 2007 at 6:26 am

    @71. mikea

    An exquisite retort lad. A sound premise leading to well structured argument detailing your sound grasp of the facts and demonstrating a persuasive line of thought. Incisive, witty and profound.

    I love this place.

    May I suggest you learn to speak then grapple with a modicum of formal education before subjecting the planet to your half baked excuse for communication you ignorant baboon.

  73. THE1000LINKS

    October 28th, 2007 at 6:56 am

    Cool app.

    I like this kind of application, simple and lots of fun…

  74. Frank Allison

    October 28th, 2007 at 7:01 am

    BradC - now we know what the ‘C’ stands for. Please take your ramblings elsewhere.

  75. BRadC

    October 28th, 2007 at 12:52 pm

    @74. Frank Allison

    uhhh, this truly is getting tired. What are you after today? A category 3 dressing down? OK, but I pre warn you, I am going to have to start charging soon. Too many people want a bit of BRadC attention and there’s just not enough of me to go around.

    How about I say you are merely the sycophantic lackey of the ignorant baboon? Will that suffice for no or are you left wanting?

  76. Bill Templeton

    October 28th, 2007 at 1:05 pm

    This is news? Yet another frivolous Facebook app? Why did you decide to cover this one and not the 1,268 other totally frivolous gaming apps on Facebook? Perhaps you are an “advisor” to them?

    Journalistic integrity is hard to earn and easy to lose. More posts like this and it will be pretty clear which direction you are heading in.

  77. amit

    October 28th, 2007 at 1:24 pm

    Hahahahah, BradC, you need to start writing a book :)))

  78. Dheeraj Sultanian

    October 28th, 2007 at 8:55 pm

    This is a total SPAM trap - I’ve gotten about 50% more spam since I submitted my email address to this thing - what’s up with this Mike?

  79. Vivek

    October 29th, 2007 at 2:23 am

    >>>or perhaps donate your time and money to a “real charity” instead.

    Yeah, that’s what everyone should do!

    If and when Aliens strike Earth, “Save An Alien” will be their first target ;-)

  80. Beta3

    October 30th, 2007 at 6:46 am

    What happened to the whole “Alien invading earth” theme? Now we are supposed to save them :P

  81. John

    November 6th, 2007 at 9:58 am

    Interesting that this is only available on facebook.

    If they want 10 million users they would have to convert 1 in 5 facebook users (assuming they have 50 million users). When you look at it that way, it seems like a lofty goal.

    Perhaps they should open up the widget to all platforms??

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