The website a friend and I totally thought of making like 3 years ago and failed...

I'll just start off this post by saying that I am a sucker for networking. I'll sign up for just about anything and then determine its worthiness or unworthiness. And I am definitely an online marketer's DREAM. In fact, I read a half a post at Jezebel today about a show that I'd vaguely heard of months ago this one time when someone was talking about TV and immediately keyboard-marched over to the AMCtv.com website to watch the first episode to see what all the fuss was about. If you want me to buy your product, watch your show, ingest your new drug... whatever... send me and e-mail or put a comment on my blog. If it's on the internet, apparently I must have it.

Gosh. I'm gonna get a lot of spam now, aren't I?

At any rate, a few weeks ago, this company started following me on Twitter. Usually I chalk that up to creepy people stalking me, but this one seemed to be Baltimore-based, so I followed them, too. And then one of their updates said that their website was live. So I went! And I joined!

...and then I took awhile to contemplate the usefulness of this thing that I just arbitrarily joined because the internet told me to and someone started following me on Twitter and I was flattered.

So the website is 600block.com. Their whole shtick is that they post user-generated reviews on restaurants, bars, and retailers. And I know you're rolling your eyes and saying, "Duh, you can get that in at least 8 million other places on the web." I know you're saying that to yourself because that's what I said even after I wrote a few reviews. But then I saw this magical little box in the upper right hand corner of the site that has a list of specials. Want a half-priced beer after 9 or a new place to have happy hour in 5 minutes? go to 600block.com and it will tell you exactly what's going on in Baltimore by way of cheap food and drink on a daily basis. This little box is my new best friend.

A few summers ago, before I had a place of my own, and far more disposable income, and didn't really have to worry about having a grown up job because I was still in school, a friend and I tried a new nightlife spot at least twice a week with the thought that we'd start this anti-tourism guide book for Baltimore 20-somethings... outlining where all of the specials were each day, and suggesting places for blind dates and romantic evenings and nights out with large groups of friends. That was a few years ago.

Paper is so passé in 2008.

And also, apparently, 600block.com beat us to the punch.

I'm not paying attention to any of the retailer stuff right now because I'm more interested in having a lovely dinner than fitting into half of what's in my closet right now, but maybe in time, it will be like Twitter and prove its usefulness to me... and hopefully, if you're not in Baltimore, it will move on to your city one day, too.

Also, Baltimorons, it's Restaurant Week. Go out and try some place new to eat for $30.08. If you need suggestions, my favorites are bicycle, Gecko's, Sascha's 572, Slainte, and Pazo. All linkable from the Baltimore Restaurant Week site.