http://www.spymac.com
An international
Mac enthusiasts site headquartered in
Germany. Early in 2004, Spymac began offering free 1GB email accounts to their members. Shortly thereafter, the good folks at what was formerly
TechTV aired this information during one of their programs. Spymac experienced an
exponential population surge. This
influx consisted mostly of PC users who were sometimes made to feel
less than welcome by a faction of hardcore Mac
purists. However, the PC users managed to gain a fair measure of respect in the Spymac community in little time. There is relative peace in the kingdom.
As with any good thing, the news of Spymac's free 1GB email accounts spread across the globe. Their servers began to feel the strain of the overwhelming snowball effect. Their interfaces also needed to be reworked. They needed more moderators to regulate the many forums and galleries.
It's several months later, and Spymac has already undergone quite a number of evolutionary changes. The servers are handling the loads much better on average. Members have many features available to them in addition to those whopping 1GB email accounts such as:
the ability to create and somewhat manage their own member forum
their own blog
free website space
their own image gallery
Spymac auctions
It may be mostly the
freebies that draw members in, but it's usually the vibrant community that keeps them coming back.