Social networking site lets people create virtual islands

A social networking site that lets people colonise virtual islands has been re-launched.

Faces was originally a picture-based site that let people talk about entertainment and adventure days in their areas.

It has now added new functions to let people set up islands with their friends. From here they can add different features that will allow members to send messages in bottles and post photos in waterfalls.

Users can rule their own island and appoint staff to help run it as well as provide support to its members. The networking site says this allows anyone with enough friends to start and grow their own social network without any technical experience or money.

Members can travel from island to island, visiting the public communities and applying for visas to visit the private ones.

People in islands can also play games with their cohabitants. This includes Pass the Parcel, which lets people pass an email around and unwrap virtual layers to win prizes such as iPods and Xbox 360s.

In the next few months, Faces also plans to let islands have trading posts with real money, which will allow inhabitants to pay for new games, food and clothing.

Martin Montague, chief executive at Symbios Group said: “Now anyone can start their own club or social networking community using one of our virtual islands. It is a great amount of fun and so simple to do.

“With time some of these Islands will have their own revenue streams and substantial amounts of traffic. Others will be places of refuge and reflection.”