The Guinness Book of Records is to launch its first foray on the internet. 'It's not the book online,' says Stephen Nelson, chief executive of Guinness World Records. 'We have a very powerful search function, and a rich database.'

The site, Guinnessworldrecords.com, will be aimed mainly at 15- to 25-year-olds, and aims to build a community by extensive use of video, and by offering a facility for sending e-cards of particularly photogenic record-holders, such as the world's most pierced lady.

Nelson says: 'A Guinness World Record is an aspirational achievement with very broad appeal, from Olympians to people who can swallow a large number of worms in 60 seconds.'

Sadly there is no innovative e-commerce business model to capitalise on this. The site aims to be in the top 10 of entertainment websites, but its main source of revenue will be advertising.