If the stereotype of Notre Dame undergrads as conservative and conventional is true, most students might never have the desire to check out Indie-Planet.com. However, we all know that those stereotypes aren't true; certainly has some students who are itching to escape the mainstream. It's for those people, and many others, that IndiePlanet.com was created.

IndiePlanet.com is a Website that promises in its `manifesto' to give "artists and visitors real tools to make themselves visible in a sea of mainstream blandness." It makes no apologies for its anti-conformist views. In fact, it embraces them. The Website is unabashedly cutting-edge in each of its 12 channels, ranging from art to "wordz" to business. It promises to offer surfers an outlet for creative expression that the mainstream simply hasn't discovered yet.

I'll admit it: this `manifesto' was more than slightly frightening to me, considering I practically define mainstream. Unlike the people IndiePlanet.com seems to expect would visit their site, I don't consider myself an expert on obscure art, I don't edit my own humor magazine, and I definitely don't listen to electronica. Like many Notre Dame students, I'm more likely to sing along with whatever song is on the radio than to actually pursue little known bands on the road. Call it laziness, call it conformity; it's just how I am, and I suspect I'm not alone.

Taking this into consideration, you can see why such a website might make me feel somewhat threatened. What, I wondered, could IndiePlanet.com possibly have to offer me? The answer to that question was quite surprising. I'm pleased to say that while Indie-Planet.com can certainly attract those surfers who really do seek out progressive culture, it's also a great site for those of us who are a bit "indie-challenged" to get our feet wet in the vast world of indie society.

The main homepage welcomes visitors with a variety of links, channels and explanations. As soon as the site downloads, its digital, progressive appearance becomes obvious. Indie-Planet.com has a sleek, futuristic homepage that complements its outlook. Mantras such as "The future is all in your mind" scroll across the welcome bar. Each of the 12 channels is available in one corner, and the highlights of these channels appear with photos and links below. Upon seeing the homepage for the first time, freshman Danny Linton said, "This site is perfect for the college student. It has everything you need, from humor to real-life events." He added, "It's high tech, yet still is down to earth with message boards and chat rooms."

ART

Using the art channel as a take-off point, a surfer can see the characteristic layout IndiePlanet prefers. Each channel features a main article, usually freelanced, about the topic at hand. At press time, the featured story on the art channel was a review of an art exhibit entitled "Electric Earth," which is currently on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Immediately, I got the sense that IndiePlanet.com is a fast ticket to obscure culture. The article is typical of IndiePlanet's: brief, but intriguing, and bursting with links that hope to satisfy a surfer's endless desire for more information.

Of course, each channel offers far more than just a feature. IndiePlanet flanks the art channel's main story with a sidebar of approximately 10 other articles. Columns, reviews and profiles provide additional art talk and offer some noteworthy thought-starters. One article from the art channel that I found particularly interesting, entitled "Gesture, Pose, and the Sweater Vest," discusses the ludicrous poses that fashion ads offer the consumer, and furthers this thought with a discussion of several art exhibits that make a mockery of the models' poses.

MUSIC

Divided into three categories: alternative rock, hip-hop and electronica, the music channel offers a surfer a diverse selection of reviews and features from which to choose. I figured I'd have the best luck with alternative rock, and sure enough, Indieplanet.com came through. There were reviews of bands like Oasis and The EELS that I was familiar with, but I also had the chance to read about groups like Seely, who the freelancer raved about, and The American Flag (they're from Canada). Unfortunately, my lack of expansive music knowledge reared its ugly head here when Indieplanet's feature writer said Seely was "reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, Stereolab, [and] Lush and the Cocteau Twins." Since I wasn't familiar with any of those bands, it was hard for me to judge the merits of Seely.

Moving on to hip-hop, the same situation arises. On one hand, the review of the "Next Friday" soundtrack, featuring Ice Cube, Eminem and Kurupt caters to a Top 40 crowd, but from there, the offerings grow increasingly obscure.

IndiePlanet authors aren't afraid to speak their minds and ask more of a surfer. Most reviews are punctuated with the freelancer relating the work at hand to culture as a whole. Each article also offers a link so readers can post their responses about various articles. The online community of surfers and visitors to the site is imperative to IndiePlanet's success, and the site clearly depends on this community's input. After all, this innovative site claims to reject what the majority tells them is culture. Sans connections with its online neighborhood, IndiePlanet becomes one more Website proclaiming its own brand of culture. So, clearly, outside contributions are crucial to the continuation of the Website.

IndiePlanet.com also offers visitors the opportunity to establish free e-mail accounts and free homepages, in another attempt to keep everyone connected.

Although there are probably hundreds of sites with similar goals and mindsets as IndiePlanet, it's safe to say that few of them could duplicate the unity that IndiePlanet establishes. A definite feeling of community and cohesiveness links the site's various branches. All of these differences make IndiePlanet.com a fun and appealing place to visit on the Web. Once you decide what you want Indieplanet to be for you, you can explore its network so it fulfills your cultural desires.

The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer

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