Latest dot-com bomb: TheMan.com

A year after its birth, the Web site that targeted the more thoughtful male has shut down its operations, according to its Web site.

"We regret to inform you that TheMan.com has ceased operations," a note on the company's site reads. "We guarantee that those of you who have placed orders for products will receive them promptly."

A phone message at the company's headquarters in San Francisco confirmed that TheMan.com "ceased operations as of Nov. 1."

The e-commerce and content site, which positioned itself as an alternative to sex-and-sports magazines online, offered men guidance on such topics as how to make up with a woman after a fight and sold related products.

The site helped "men get things done in their personal lives," according to the company's chief executive, Calvin Lui, who had visions of a public offering at the company's start a year ago. At the time, investors were bullish on the idea for TheMan.com, hoping that a male niche site would find the same success of women sites such as MarthaStewart.com and Women.com.

But when the market for Internet companies went flat in April, shares in such sites as Women.com and MarthaStewart.com, along with other e-commerce and media companies, plummeted to well under their offering prices. Many dot-coms have been forced to cease operations under market pressures.

Beautyjungle.com, Eve.com and BigWords.com are just a few in a string of Internet businesses to have closed their doors or cut staff in the past month.

Calls to TheMan.com were not immediately returned. The company's Web site links to about eight resumes of former company employees, with more to come.

"Since we're all seeking challenging new opportunities, please check out the resumes of some of our company's talented employees," the Web site reads.

The company publicly announced investments of about $17 million from investors including Highland Capital and Infinity Capital.