The Hindu Business Line : Net effect is a `meet-up'

This social networking drive brings people together on the Internet first and then gets them to meet face-to-face. And Chennai is making waves in the game.

Chennai recently made it to the top of a list of worldwide cities on a Web site that is rapidly becoming a daily addiction for tens of thousands of wired people around the world. Called www.meetup.com, the Web site currently has 11.5 lakh members in 612 cities across 51 countries. Five of these are Indian — New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Allahabad and Chennai, with Chennai and Hyderabad among the 25 fastest growing cities.

Chennai (with a growth rate of 48 per cent) topped the list, while Hyderabad (5 per cent) was at No 20, ahead of five cities that stood at 4 per cent.

Quite simply, the Web site is a place for social networking — with one key difference compared to similar Web sites: The contact is not limited to cyber space but is translated into real space. "Meetup is a free service that organises local gatherings about anything, anywhere," says the home page. There are 4,206 registered topics. If you see a topic that interests you, sign up, find out when the next meet-up for that topic is in your city or close to it, and attend it. The meet-ups generally take place in public places, mostly eateries.

There is a `host' at every meet-up (simply a member willing to take on the role) who puts up a notice at the venue, looks out for members, introduces them and ensures that everything goes smoothly. If you can't see a topic that enthuses you, or if you have an unusual interest, start a new topic by posting it on the Web site. You can also post your profile to let others know about you, besides messages, questions, replies and the like. In true cyber custom, intriguing nicknames are used instead of real names and you need to furnish only a valid e-mail address when registering. However, unlike many other similar Web sites, a member's e-mail address is unavailable to anyone wanting to contact him/her. Contact has to be through the common discussion board or the mini-boards in various segments of the site. Numerous complaints have come in about this and the site owners say they are working on this inconvenience.

How it all began

Started in June 2002, Meetup is run by a group of Americans (including one of Indian origin) spread over the US. It took nearly a year before its current massive growth spiral took off due to the efforts of supporters of the US Democratic presidential candidate, Howard Dean. Dean supporters still constitute the single largest group in Meetup, with 189,200 members, even though — as one writer has commented — the Dean campaign is probably yet to realise that it has created history by contributing a new Internet tool to US elections: Electronic grass-roots organising.

Predictably, there are reports that the Web site recently began soliciting business from political candidates — that it has sought "a minimum of $1,500 a month from Senate and gubernatorial campaigns and $750 per month from Congressional candidates to go beyond the free service it provides."

The company spokesman is reported to have said, "If a campaign wants a formal relationship with the company and to have the ability to steer its activities and monitor what is happening online, it must go beyond the free portion." At the moment, the Web site says it runs by earning from establishments that pay to be listed as possible meeting venues; people who sign up for Meetup+ (the paying membership that includes additional facilities), organisations seeking special services to strengthen their community; and sponsors who use Meetup chapters to advertise.

Something for everyone

For the non-political, Meetup's popularity seemingly stems from the fact that it tries to draw the widest possible spectrum of people. There are dedicated Web sites offering chat rooms and discussion boards for travel, sports, writing, et al. But, like a departmental store where you can shop for everything under one roof, Meetup's USP is that it caters to everyone, no matter what your interest and whether you are looking for something particular or simply trawling in Micawberian fashion. Predictably, a large number of the Indian members are looking for work.

The most popular topics in Indian cities relate to Western TV serials, Harry Potter, foreign languages, travel and pets, after Web-related occupations. Web Design, Graphic Design, Animation, SAP Professionals, Photoshop, Flash, PHP and Delphi figure prominently in every city. In this world, the word `writer' relates to software and not the person who wields the pen!

Surprisingly, Bangalore isn't on the Meetup map yet though Bangaloreans are posting on the boards of other cities — for example, the Mumbai board. It is the professional groups that seem to be making the best use of the Web site, and the ones that are relatively free of the Romeos looking for "broad-minded friends."

Asked what he felt about Meetup, Vijaya Kumar, a SAP professional from Hyderabad said, "Meetup is a great idea because SAP professionals gather and share knowledge. SAP deals with business in companies. Some people are technically sound but may not be as good functionally. When they meet the functionally good people, they can clarify doubts. Also, if you ask a SAP person something, he will explain it in a SAP-oriented way — and this can be a great help."

Graphics by K. Balaa

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