Online Community to Populate Deserted Island

Ben Keene is looking for a few -- well, more than a few -- good men and women.

The co-founder of Tribewanted.com, Keene has leased a nearly deserted Fiji island. He's populating it with members of his online community who buy time shares based on how long they want to stay.

"Tribewanted.com is a unique, global project that actually only started six months ago when my friend [co-founder Mark James] was chatting to me about taking an online community like MySpace into a real space somewhere in the world," Keene said.

"He was reading a book on islands, and called me and said can we get 5,000 people together to form an online community that has say in how we develop a sustainable island community that you, for $220, can then go and visit."

Keene learned that Fijian tribal chief Tui Mali was looking to lease one of his islands Vorovoro. He paid $90,000 for a three-year lease.

"He was looking to lease the island, so this is a structured tourism project, not just an accident," Keene said. "And we're working through the chief and the government in Fiji, and it's got an ecological aspect to the project as well."

Roughing It

So far, 850 people, ages 18 to 68, from 25 different countries have joined Tribewanted.com.

Their membership fees have already paid for the $90,000 lease. The fees range from $220 to $660, depending on length, pay for local transportation, food and lodging, plus limited Internet access.

Their goal is to have 5,000 members, but they will only allow 100 members on the island at a time.

Although it is a vacation, members should expect to rough it. T.C. Conway, a Virginia resident who has signed up with his wife, is looking forward to fending for himself even when it comes to food.

"I don't think there're any pigs on the island," Conway said. "But it is an island, and there's a ton of fish around there. Fishing would be one core opportunity."

Kate Fenker, an artist from Brooklyn, N.Y., who is also a member, is looking forward to leisure time. She said she planned to pack "a glamorous gown for dancing on the beach."

If need be, Fenker said, her dress can double as a "really big fishing lure."