Wrong Planet
Wrong Planet (sometimes referred to by its URL, WrongPlanet.net) is an online forum for individuals with Asperger syndrome. The site was started in 2004 by Dan Grover and Alex Plank[1] and includes a chatroom, a large forum, a dating section, and articles describing how to deal with daily issues.
After a post to Slashdot describing an interview with Bram Cohen,[2] Wrong Planet grew; the success of the Cohen interview spurred the site to produce a series of interviews with other figures in the Autism community such as author Temple Grandin and movie producer Joey Travolta. The site conducted an interview with America's Next Top Model contestant Heather Kuzmich who frequently talked about her Asperger's during Cycle 9 of the show. [3]
Wrong Planet has been referenced by the mainstream U.S. media[4] and has gained more than 10,000 registered members since its creation.
In 2005, a 19-year-old member of the site, William Freund,[5] gave Wrong Planet national mainstream publicity in the United States after being mentioned on Fox News[6] and programs such as Good Morning America after he donned a cape and paintball mask and went on a shooting rampage in Aliso Viejo, California. He shot and killed two people before going home and killing himself with a shot to the torso.
References
- ↑ "Autistic Teens Create Website for People with Asperger's Syndrome" (Press release). PRWeb. July 1, 2004. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Interview with the Creator of BitTorrent". Slashdot. May 9, 2005. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Interview: Heather Kuzmich of America's Next Top Model" (Interview). Wrong Planet. 2007-11-29. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ↑ "Creating an Asperger's Community". Washington Post. December 20, 2005. pp. HE02. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "William Freund Threatened 'Terror Campaign' On Web". CBS. November 1, 2005. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Deadly Disorder?". Fox News. November 10, 2005. Check date values in:
|date=(help)