Manhunt.net got its start three years ago in Boston as a way to bring men together online. Its popularity quickly spread down the East Coast, and now the site has made the move west, adding cities like San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco to the growing online community with over 100,000 members. “We would like to be the largest hookup site,” said Philip Henricks, director of marketing for Manhunt.net.

Locally there are over 2,300 men registered with the site, which provides users with information about what their sexual preferences are (such as top, bottom or versatile) as well as what they are interested in doing and when they are interested in doing it (right now, lunchtime, later today, after work or over the weekend). The easy to use site also allows users to define public pictures that everyone can see and private pictures that must be unlocked for other members to view.

Larry Basile and Jonathon Crutchley own Manhunt.net. Crutchley was a successful real estate broker for years before becoming involved in Manhunt. Basile has been a fixture in the Boston gay community for years, both as a successful businessman and a community activist. Basile started Dial Info in the early ‘90s, the precursor to Manhunt.net that is still a thriving business. Dial Info includes several adult phone lines.

According to Henricks, “[Manhunt.net] is a non-judgmental site. However, we offer safe sex and STD testing information on our site. We would like Manhunt.net to be viewed as an online community within the larger gay community. We are all about inclusion.”

The site provides users with a web-based e-mail system that keeps track of all messages sent through the Manhunt.net system. Access is free, but to use more advanced features — including the site’s instant messenger service — you must be a subscriber.