Nexopia graduates with Facebook App

Edmonton-based youth social netowrking site Nexopia is taking on Classmates.com head on with a new Facebook app that helps users find and connect with former classmates ranging from elementary school to university.

Of course, you've heard of Classmates.com.

I'd guess that every high school graduate in North America with an email address has at some point received an unsoliticed email from Classmates.com. You know the ones - "a former classmate is trying to contact you" and if you are naive enough to click-thru, you'll be upsold a premium Classmates.com membership only to find out that school's out for summer... and your high school buddies are somewhere else online. And it turns out there are quite a few lonely grads that aren't happy with Classmates.com's antics.

Well, we all know where your former classmates are now - on Facebook. And Facebook and Classmates.com just might be the best way to describe Web 2.0 and Web 1.0, respectively.

Smart move by Nexopia. As a social networking site specifically targeted to the high school demographic, it isn't likely even their most faithful power users will be using the site ten years post-graduation to organize a high school reunion. A Facebook app with some traction will allow Nexopia to keep in touch with its youth roots for years to come.

Facebook and free classmate-uniting apps should make Classmates.com's parent comany United Online, Inc. very nervous. They've built up a business with over 50 Million registered users, 4.6 Million subscribers, and $200 Million in annual revenue.

No doubt they're regretting pulling their IPO that was planned for late 2007.