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Wetpaint Powers Secrets of the Code Author’s Community Website for
Fans of The Da Vinci Code
Seattle, WA, May 11, 2006 – Wetpaint (www.wetpaint.com) today announced it has launched a new website in partnership with Dan Burstein, editor of Secrets of the Code: the Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries behind the Da Vinci Code (CDS Books), a collection of interviews, essays, and commentaries related to the mysteries depicted in The Da Vinci Code. The site uses content from Burstein’s book to create an innovative online resource and community for those interested in the bestselling Dan Brown novel and forthcoming movie adaptation. In addition to getting scholarly knowledge about some of the finer points of the book, visitors to the site will also be able to easily add their own theories or edit what’s already there using Wetpaint’s consumer wiki technology. The website URL is http://secretsbehindthedavincicode.wetpaint.com.
“We’re excited to create a Wetpaint site for fans of The Da Vinci Code that leverages Dan Burstein’s content,” explained Ben Elowitz, Wetpaint’s Chief Executive Officer. “Dan has some fascinating information and theories about this story and we know that people are also eager to voice their own opinions. This site is a must-see before the movie opens.”
Wetpaint’s consumer website technology combines the best content-creation and community-building features of wikis, blogs and online forums to make it very easy for visitors to directly edit the site content, to add new information, pages, or photos, and to connect with others who are interested in the same topic. The resulting site is an aggregation of the community’s knowledge, a compelling mixture of expert information, personal experiences, and references to other sources of information on the internet.
“I wanted to broaden the audience of Secrets of the Code and extend this information to all of the passionate fans of The Da Vinci Code,” said Burstein. “I’m also hopeful that this Wetpaint site will illustrate to traditional authors, publishers, and content creators how they can get more out of their investment in content and create instant community by engaging consumers. I’m really interested in seeing how the community takes this content and makes it their own. I’m sure some great theories around the Da Vinci code will emerge.”
Wetpaint announced the beginning of its testing phase on March 6 this year and has since launched a total of 16 sites, pre-populated with content to kick-start consumer involvement. The company will end testing this summer and launch its free service, which will allow anyone to create a Wetpaint site from scratch. Early feedback from consumers indicates that they are excited about creating their own Wetpaint websites built around personal hobbies or interests, school groups, social clubs, and much more. For a complete list of existing Wetpaint sites, visit: www.wetpaint.com/more.
About Wetpaint
Wetpaint (www.wetpaint.com) is the creator of web publishing platforms that maximize the power of collective thinking. The heart of the Wetpaint advantage is its ability to allow people – even those without technical skill – to create, contribute to, and connect with websites written for and by those who share a passion or interest. Founded in 2005, the company is headquartered in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square. Wetpaint is backed by Trinity Ventures and Frazier Technology Ventures.
About Dan Burstein
Dan Burstein is the creator of the “Secrets” series, which, in addition to Secrets of the Code, includes Secrets of Angels & Demons, Secrets of the Widow’s Son, and Secrets of Mary Magdalene (to be published in October 2006). Edited by Burstein and business partner Arne de Keijzer, the “Secrets” books have been best-sellers in almost every major global publishing market, with three million books in print worldwide. They have also been the basis for special collector’s issues of US News & World Report. Burstein is a much sought-out expert on the issues relating to The Da Vinci Code and has appeared on numerous television specials from the History Channel’s “Beyond The Da Vinci Code,” to Inside Edition and MSNBC. A feature film documentary based on Secrets of the Code has just been completed and was recently previewed at the Tribeca Film Festival.