{{Short description|Defunct US free webhosting service}} {{Infobox company | name = FortuneCity | logo = | logo_caption = | logo_upright = <!-- default: 1 --> | logo_alt = | type = | industry = | predecessor = <!-- or: predecessors = --> | founded = <!-- if known: {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} in city, country --> | founder = 1997 | defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | fate = | successor = <!-- or: successors = --> | hq_location_city = New York City, New York | hq_location_country = United States | area_served = Webhosting | key_people = | products = | owner = <!-- or: owners = --> | num_employees = | num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) --> | parent = | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> }} '''FortuneCity''' was a webhosting service based in New York City. The service was founded in 1997<ref name="LoPresti">{{cite news|title=A Case of Storage Space |author=LoPresti, Michael |url=http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-7310440/A-case-of-storage-space.html |newspaper=EContent |publisher=Information Today, Inc. |date=2007-11-01 |accessdate=2011-02-11 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022004750/http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-7310440/A-case-of-storage-space.html |archivedate=2012-10-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> by Richard Jones and Dan Metcalfe, two British entrepreneurs. Jay Metcalfe was the company's main shareholder and its chairman.<ref>Wall Street Journal</ref> It had one million users.<ref>{{cite news |title=PROSPECTUS; An alliance with Warner Brothers Online has an upstart Web development company feeling like the Road Runner. |author=Stites, Janet |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1999-01-25 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/25/business/prospectus-alliance-with-warner-brothers-online-has-upstart-web-development.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |accessdate=2009-10-19 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527105211/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/25/business/prospectus-alliance-with-warner-brothers-online-has-upstart-web-development.html |archivedate=2015-05-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
It collaborated with Warner Brothers to create a community called AcmeCity, which allowed users to create a web site using WB characters, logos, etc. without infringing on copyright.<ref>{{Cite press release |title= Warner Bros. Online and Fortunecity Join Forces To Create Ultimate Home Page Community for Entertainment Fans; ACMEcity Joint Venture Represents First Branded Entertainment Community in Internet History |author= Time Warner |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180507085143/http://www.timewarner.com/newsroom/press-releases/1999/01/13/warner-bros-online-and-fortunecity-join-forces-to-create-ultimate}}</ref>
When FortuneCity first came online, it offered a free web hosting account with 6 MB of disk space. Later, they increased the space to 10 MB, 20 MB and then 100 MB. However, since upgrading to 100 MB, the original virtual community design has been removed; the "virtual map" of each district is gone, the division of district is also gone, but the community, mayor and district ministers remain.
The company went public in March 1998. It was oversubscribed 37 times after its initial offering.<ref>{{cite news|title=Why FortuneCity Will Seek Its Fortune on Nasdaq |author=Peterson, Thane |newspaper=BusinessWeek |date=1999-11-02 |url=http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/nov1999/nf91102f.htm |accessdate=2009-10-19 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023031007/http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/nov1999/nf91102f.htm |archivedate=2012-10-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> FortuneCity receives its revenue mostly from advertisements.<ref>{{cite news|title=How to make a Fortune on the quiet |author=Keegan, Victor |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2000-12-21 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/Archive/Article/0,4273,4108405,00.html |accessdate=2009-10-19 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611190700/http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2000/dec/21/news.onlinesupplement |archivedate=2022-06-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to Choose the Perfect Domain Name |url=http://www.hostingmanual.net/choosing-perfect-domain-name/ |publisher=Hosting Manual |date=21 July 2021 |accessdate=2013-08-20}}</ref>
FortuneCity began as a free web hosting service, but they have announced that after April 30, 2012, they would no longer be providing free web space, citing increasing costs as the reason.<ref name="Fortunecity.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.fortunecity.com/ |title=Dear FortuneCity Customers |date=March 2012|publisher=FortuneCity |accessdate=2012-03-24 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323034604/http://www.fortunecity.com/ |archivedate=2012-03-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> At this point, it was also rebranded as Dotster.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dotster.com/dotster/sites/fortune-city.bml|title=Welcome Fortune City Customers|date=January 2013|publisher=Dotster|accessdate=2018-06-22}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.fortunecity.ws FortuneCity Web Archive]
Category:Companies based in New York City Category:Internet properties established in 1997 Category:Free web hosting services