Adding dot-com to OC

Mathis Winkler

CORONA DEL MAR -- Movie set scouts would have a field day in Lisa

Rubenstein’s live-in office. The cozy apartment off Coast Highway

perfectly fits the bill of an Internet pioneer’s abode.

Visitors to Rubenstein’s place virtually fall into her working area --

a desk arrangement outfitted with computer, printer, fax and phone. A few

feet over begins the living room area and a kitchen stands on the room’s

opposite wall. Files and office material spill around the corner to the

bedroom.

But Rubenstein, who keeps her apartment meticulously clean, resembles

anything but a stereotypical computer nerd. The tanned and stylishly

dressed 31-year-old pretty much stumbled into cyberspace herself.

“I didn’t even own a computer at the time,� she said, adding that she

now takes her laptop on vacations. “I just sort of lived it out.�

After about four or five years in the business, she’s determined to

put Orange County on the virtual map.

A few months ago, she founded WebEvents, an organization for Orange

County Internet professionals that meets for networking parties.

WebEvents’ mailing list includes about 900 people, said Rubenstein,

adding that the county’s Web community didn’t have to hide behind

Internet capitals such as San Francisco or Los Angeles.

“We’re every bit as cutting-edge and on top of it as everyone else,�

she said.

To prove it, Rubenstein’s organizing the inaugural Orange County

eWards, a sort of Internet Oscars honoring the best Web sites around.

Categories range from sites related to arts and entertainment to those

designed for kids or travelers.

A selection of the county’s Web professionals will judge the entries

and announce the winners at a gala Oct. 19.

This type of event could help strengthen the Internet community in

Orange County, which has become a hub of successful dot-coms, said Liz

Marek, director of business development for SYNGE.com -- a heavily

visited pop culture site based in Costa Mesa.

“Anything that recognizes other players in the industry, it’s good for

all of us,� Marek said.

Goodwill Industries of Orange County and AnotheR BytE -- two charities

that recycle old computers and give them to the needy -- will receive a

portion of the proceeds from the event.

Rubenstein said she would not nominate her own Web site for the

awards.

“I thought that would be a conflict of interest,� she said with a

smile.

Together with Fullerton-based designer Tina McKean, Rubenstein runs a

Web-based advertising agency. The two women constantly communicate by

e-mail and phone, but rarely see each other.

But Rubenstein gladly shared some tips on what makes Web sites

successful.

“It needs to be simple,� she said, adding that she uses a regular

dial-up modem to determine if the sites she works on can be easily

viewed.

“Anybody should be able to figure out where they’re gonna go [on a Web

site,]� she said. “Don’t spend time on technical, cutting-edge stuff

because there are not enough people with fast [Internet] connections.�

Rubenstein’s love for the Internet isn’t limited to her work. She uses

it to shop and conduct research and even signed up for the recent 5K race

in Corona del Mar.

When she’s not cybersurfing or marketing new Web sites, she tries to

stay in touch with the real world, she said.

“I definitely would not want to be cut off from everything,� she said,

adding that she regularly exercises during her work.

“And I usually try to go out and get food -- to have a little human

interaction.�

FYI

To nominate a Web site for the Orange County eWards, log on to o7

https://www.WebEvents.org/ewardsf7 or call (949) 675-6404. The deadline

for nominations is Sept. 22. The entry fee is $75 per site, per category,

for corporations and individuals and $30 for nonprofit organizations and

students.