By Marianne Holman
Editor''s note: This article refers to an earlier website with the same name, not the current site, which is a social networking site that is under development. This article remains in our database for historical purposes, but is not representative of the current direction of lymabean.com, according to the company.
It''s not a Mormon coffee company, not an alternative health food store and not a go-go nightclub, despite being mistaken for all of the above.
After being introduced at the beginning of the semester, the new lymabean.com company officially launched Monday as a student Web site to give college students the two things they always are running out of ? time and money.
'The purpose is to create the ultimate student site for whatever students talk about with their friends,' said Jeff Wurtz, founder of the site. 'To get in and take the stuff that people talk about with maybe a dozen people, and blow it out to 30,000 people to create better opportunities for students to connect.'
The Web site includes four sections: marketplace, housing, calendar and education.
The marketplace is a section dedicated to selling anything students are interested in getting rid of.
'You can sell anything ? DVDs, computers, furniture,' Wurtz said. 'There is always stuff out there people are trying to get rid of. We''re just trying to provide a good platform for people to do that.'
The buying system is not an auction, making it possible to see the item without having to wait for the bid time to close.
'We are trying to create some convenience for people,' Wurtz said. 'The hardest part is trying to match up schedules and see when you can meet, and this eliminates that need.'
In an effort to help students with transactions, lymabean.com has a drop shop where students can drop the item sold off at any time and the buyer can pick it up anytime. This makes it possible for the parties involved to continue through with the transaction, without even having to meet.
'We don''t want them not doing transactions because they don''t want to meet,' Wurtz said.
The only cost to the site comes with posting items for sale, which then varies with the item''s selling price. Every other part of the site is free to the user. A PayPal system will also be available through the site.
'What we''ve done is try to be the broker to match people up,' Wurtz said. 'Then it is up to the students.'
Housing information of lymabean.com is meant to be quick and easy, including a map showing where the housing is located and any available contracts. Students are welcome to post contracts they are trying to sell at no extra charge.
'In a quick snapshot you can see where it is you want to live and you can learn about the apartments themselves,' Wurtz said. 'Our job is to try to give quick information.'
Another element to the Web site is the calendar. This calendar allows students to put their own schedules in, as well as any group they are involved in. Church groups, intramural teams and clubs can post their schedule, automatically posting on any of the group members calendars.
'Part of the beauty of it, and my hope, it should function like a Web PDA tied to your login and password,' Wurtz said. 'Most students don''t have PDAs, but you are always around a computer.'
The Web calendar allows students to pick and choose what they want to view, including filters with public and private sections so users choose what events they want active. The filters can be changed at the click of a button, letting users turn the public events on for the weekend off again during the weekdays.
'Students are so busy,' said Jessica Webb, a senior majoring in elementary education from Raft River, Idaho. 'Anything to help make life easier during school is a good thing.'
The education section gives students the opportunity to give feedback on classes and professors. Used textbooks are also available to buy and sell on this site, as well as the opportunity to either post tutoring help or the need for a tutor.
The Web site was created with the comments and wants of students ? for students.
'We tried to come up with something kind of fun to help people out,' Wurtz said.