For those who have lent out their DVDs never to see them again or remember who they lent them to, LendAround is here to help.
LendAround lets you list all your DVDs, choosing between the various editions such as widescreen, special edition and box sets, and lists them on users profiles. Users then add their friends whose DVD libraries they can browse and start requesting loans of DVDs.
Users can also search by DVD and the site will list their friends who own the DVD as well as their friend of friends who own the DVD.
Users can accept or deny loan request and the site keeps track of who has what, though you must let it know when the DVD is returned for all this to work. If a user loans a DVD out and feels it is time to get it back, the user simply clicks the retrieve button for that DVD in their “lent out” list. The site even has a one sheet of paper wrapper it suggest users print out when loaning a DVD with the owner and lendees addresses so the owner may mail the DVD by standard mail for 42 cents.
Beware though, it’s against site rules to list a pirated or ripped DVD in your collection, and if found out the site will terminate your account.
In the end, LendAround is a lot like social network version of NetFlix. The downside of LendAround is that users are forced to come face to face with the cinematic taste of the company they keep as well as instead of answering to some giant company if they lose or damage a DVD, it’s one of their buds — who may or may not be more understanding.
Reach the reporter at lana.burke@asu.edu.
