Last Friday, the Generation Iowa Commission launched a new Web site aimed at young Iowans with the intent to provide a one-stop shop for entertainment news, career advice and talking about living in Iowa.

If you’re not aware, the GI commission was created by Chet Culver and passed by the Iowa Legislature last year to help keep young Iowans in, well, Iowa. It’s funded by the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

And in a nutshell, it offers a step in the right direction. But their method to convince young professionals that Iowa’s a state full of opportunities is, at best, short-sighted.

With its bright orange and yellow color scheme, the Web site attempts an almost kid-like design complete with, what looks like the reject list of past Iowa slogans.

Here are a few of those reasons why Iowans should stick around: “More livable than 88 percent of the U.S.”; “Where 30 miles equals 30 minutes or less”; “Not a single outbreak of bubonic plague,” and – best of all – “Our idols don’t need rehab.” Wait . exactly how are we supposed to feel about our future home?

But perhaps the greatest example of GI underestimating its audience is a feature called the “digital cubicle.” You’re supposed to log on looking for valuable networking contacts. So right alongside your contact information and resume is your own customizable office – complete with water cooler, dog and desk (you can even put it all in a treehouse).

It’s something you probably would feel embarrassed to show your family, let alone a potential employer.

Along with the cubicle, GI has young Iowans write articles about creating connections, attending job fairs and more.

Natalie Askren, junior in art and design, is a freelance columnist for the site and has a monthly column about career and business networking.

“I think more people need to be informed, so I think it’s a good idea and needed because a lot of people are moving out of Iowa and it’s a networking deal for people to stay.”

This may be true, but is creating a Web site aimed at young professionals with these features really going to change our minds?

How about instead of a digital cubicle, you show us a real one that we could actually work at?

Askren summed it up best.

“It makes me think about staying, but if you would’ve asked a couple months ago I would have said I am leaving. But, I think in the future I would want to move back here and raise a family.”

See you in 20 years, Iowa.