'Qpid' shoots arrow at computers

By Nancy Motherway
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 14, 1996


Arizona Daily Wildcat

One of the valentine images available on the Qpid Web page. Qpid is provided by the Main Quad, an on-line service that caters to college students.

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It's Valentine's Day, and if you haven't given that special someone anything, there is still a chance to a send personalized, multimedia valentine.

Along with Valentine's Day, it is also National Condom Week. And college students can now access Web pages to send valentines, receive advice on love, and win a trip to the Bahamas for relating the most romantic experience with a condom.

You can also download the latest condom screensaver for your PC or Macintosh.

A new site offers college students the option of sending free valentines to a significant other or just a friend.

The site, called "Qpid," is a free service offered by the Main Quad, a Web page service that caters to college students.

Located at http://www.main quad.com/qpid.html, it offers a selection of 20 original graphics and your choice of 30 "romantic," "heartfelt" or "cheesy" sound bytes from songs and movies. The Web page provides an area to include a personalized text message. It also provides romantic quotes for the uninspired to cut and paste. Describe your most romantic experience with a condom in 100 words or less and send it to the Durex Sheik/Ramses Internet homepage, and you may win a free week in the Bahamas, announced Durex following the premiere of the company's homepage.

Durex developed the contest to create awareness for National Condom Week, which begins February 11 and ends February 17. The site can be accessed at http://www.durex.com.

London International U.S. Holdings, which launched the page, said, "The site's romance page is crammed with red-hot tips on upping the romance factor in your life."

The page includes tips on being romantic and advice on condoms and sex, appropriately titled, "Ins and Outs of Sex." There is also a Q & A with Dr. Dilemma; the history of condoms, including how they are made; and a spot to download "the most sensual condom screensaver."

Beyond the personal computer, condoms will be featured, distributed and walking on the Mall when Student Health Services celebrates National Condom Week today.

"Mr. Condom" will be giving away free condoms while an organization of students promoting safe sex, called Frisky Business, distributes free condoms, condom key chains and safe sex educational information. The Student Health Advisory Committee will also be selling condom valentine gifts.

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