By day, he’s a civil rights warrior. By night, he’s a “cyber architect” of a new Internet dating site.
Michael Jefferson (pictured) is best known in town as for his law practice, his activism on police misconduct and criminal-justice reform, and his role as the chair of the state African-American Affairs commission.
These days, when he’s not fighting for justice in the courts, he’s cruising around in a new white van that reads “www.recentencounter.com.”
Jefferson, who’s 44, is turning quite a few heads with his white 2005 Scion XB (in photo above). He bought the “little bus” as an advertising vehicle for his latest hobby, an Internet dating site.
“Computers have always been my first love,” said Jefferson, walking to his car after a day’s work at the Elm Street courthouse. Before setting off on his law career, he majored in computer science at Southern Connecticut State University. The skills helped him create Vanguard Athletics, a profiling service designed to help young athletes get college scholarships.
The latest enterprise comes as a non-sequitur to a life of social justice.
“It has absolutely nothing to do with nothing,” Jefferson said. “It’s an expensive hobby. I like chess; I like building websites.”
Like “missed connections“ on Craigslist, Recent Encounter is designed to help you find that cute stranger you bumped into, felt a spark with, then let slip away.
It’s like that James Blunt song, said Jefferson — “I saw an angel. … She smiled at me on the subway … And I don’t think that I’ll see her again.”
Jefferson concluded: the Internet has got to have an answer for people like poor James Blunt.
Out rolled Recent Encounter. Jefferson was the “cyber architect.” He hired a design team to create the tool, an application to the Facebook social networking site. Click on the play arrow to view a promotional video, filmed in downtown New Haven.
The video shows a woman in a convertible making eyes at a man on the Green. She drives off, never to see him again … until she jumps on Recent Encounter, and types in the time and date of the missed connection. The guy does too. They reconnect, and stroll off in newly coupled bliss.
The service is free, and it’s better than Internet dating, reasoned Jefferson, because, “the two people have already sampled the goods, so to speak.”
Jefferson said he hasn’t heard of any success stories yet. A happily married man of 20 years, he’s not looking for any new connections himself — just hoping he can help a couple other people out.“It’s a far cry from my social activism,” he said, “but maybe somewhere, somehow, I’ll help two people” connect.
How cute!!!