I just joined a new weblog which is just starting up and probably has a couple of hundred members so far.  But, I bet it is sure to become nearly as popular as xanga.  Why?  Because it is a remarkably close clone of xanga!

It is called 20six and it has:

• Featured Content
• eProps that they call ‘sweeties’ (2, 1, or none!) and which they suggest can increase your sex appeal
• a form of xTools strangely similar to xanga’s own
• 10 mb of picture hosting (free)

The elaboration of its ‘Featured Content’ is actually a throwback to the earliest days of a ‘king-of-the-hill’  xanga where xanga constructed a ranking of bloggers based on total eProps amassed.  20six even outdoes ‘early xanga’ in that it constructs a ranking of bloggers on the basis of all of the following: 1) total number of ‘sweeties’ (not just the # for a particular post), 2) frequency in ‘Favorite Blogs’, 3) # of comments, 4) # of entries, and 5) recently updated.

Those new to xanga may not know that, over time, xanga actually toned down its competitive pitch to eliminate running ‘grand totals’ that led to undeclared categorical queenships and kingships.  Perhaps, as 20six evolves, it will find a similar need to eliminate ‘I’m the best-of-all-time” rankings.  Maybe not. 

So if you want to get a sense of the rugged 'king-of-the-hill' pioneer ‘Look and Feel’ of the ‘early xanga’, check out 20six, a strangely similar clone in it's infancy.