Finding strength in gay numbers.

For advertisers who wonder if their marketing strategy will work, there's a new way to find out. eCommunity, a first-of-a-kind electronic commerce program, allows firms to test and refine their ads and promotions by learning directly from their targeted, gay audience through chat rooms, E-mail, and message boards. eCommunity was unveiled as part of Gay.com Network (www.gay.com), the result of a merger between former rivals Gay.com and Gay.Net. The union of the two sites will provide a full spectrum of gay-related services and resources. The site, launched March 29, expects to log more than 5 million member visitors in its first month. As part of the new Gay.com Network, The Advocate will provide news content.