Design 21: Social Design Network

You've probably heard of the Six Degrees concept. Any one person (including me, Kevin Bacon) is connected to any other person through six or fewer relationships, because it's a small world. www.SixDegrees.org is about using this idea to accomplish something good. It's social networking with a social conscience. Through this web site, you can learn about and support the charities of celebrities and your friends, as well as fundraise for the causes close to your heart. I started www.SixDegrees.org in partnership with the nonprofit Network for Good in January 2007, more than 10 years after the game, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” made the rounds of college campuses and lived on to be a shorthand term for the small world phenomenon. It is my hope that Six Degrees will soon be something more than a game or a gimmick. It will also be a force for good.

A few great partners make Six Degrees possible:

Network for Good, the nonprofit organization that hosts this web site and helps people support all of their favorite charities online.

AOL's AIM Pages, an innovative social networking service which hosts the 6° AIM Pages. Check out Kevin Bacon's 6° AIM Page and join the network.

Entertainment Weekly and ew.com, the leading source for pop culture, news, reviews, commentary, and every aspect of entertainment. At ew.com, you can read about celebrities and their charities and see photos of the launch party for Six Degrees at Sundance.

Auction Cause, who is managing our eBay Giving Works listings at http://www.ebay.com/sixdegrees ; bid on celebrity swag from Sundance to benefit charity, or sell your own swag for a good cause!