May 22, 2012 at 2:12 PM ET
A social networking app ostensibly designed to help users meet people with "asimilar wish as yours before you die," "My Last Wish" ismore like a crowdsourced bucket list or a retirement fund commercial than whatits name implies.
Registered users, or "Fellow Wishers" of the freeapp — available through Apple's App Store — share so-called "lastwishes" on their wish wall, where similar wishes are highlighted. FellowWishers who allow their profiles to be public can contact each other throughthe app. You can also share your wishes via Facebook and Twitter.
A quick view of the variety of reveals that White Lotus Corporation, the company behind the app, as well as those using it, are not clear on what a "last wish" truly is.
Not-for-nothing, Fellow Wishers, but "I want to travelall the countries in the world," "write a novel," and "trythe whole metal band thing again," are not last wishes, but rather, that stuff you ramble about to yourco-workers after you've had one white wine spritzer too many after happy hour.You know, that last fleeting wish you had before you let it go and moved on toanother.
Frankly, with a name like "My Last Wish," I washoping for something a little more delightfully morbid to take me away from myown life of quiet desperation. You know, something like, "Take me off the oxygen," "Remember me as awesome," "I wish I didn't smoke so manycigarettes," "I wish I didn't answer that Craigslist ad," "I wish I didn't climb Mount Everest," "Iwish the governor called with my stay of execution" … these are real lastwishes you won't find on "My Last Wish."
Not yet, anyway.
Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook. Also, Google+.
