This seems quite absurd. Why would I give my data to an obscure startup (who’ll probably sell it sooner or later) and hope people in my neighborhood make the same choice, when I can probably have way better results simply inviting my neighbors for a BBQ?
Of the barbeques you have thrown, how many of those have led to mutually beneficial arrangements?
Of those that have led to mutually beneficial arrangments, how many per BBQ?
Now how much time have you put in to arranging those BBQ vs Value gotten from those BBQs?
I don’t know about your answer, but for me (substituting BBQ for dinner party) the answers respectively are probably about 10, 3, less than one, and WAYYY TO MUCH (if these types of arrangments were my only justification for throwing dinner parties.)
Now contrast this to how much time I’ve spent going through the free stuff offered on craigslist, vs the value I’ve gotten from it. The effort/value ratio is probably inverse. I think a startup that takes the “free services/free stuff” part of craigslist, but solves the unique problems of that segment (similar to what AirBNB has done for housing) could offer significant value.
I didn’t do mere BBQs but threw full-on parties with the neighbors (who I didn’t know at all) and other friends. Later two shared apartments in the same house combined held a huge party that spanned the house and included many of the neighbors. Many good friendships came out of that, and a couple of us moved in together later.
The BBQ idea is just a low-threshold variant of that which doesn’t require copious amounts of alcohol.
For free stuff, we just have a place in the staircase where people drop things that are still good but not needed by their previous owner (mostly books). This works with zero explicit coordination.
For free stuff, we just have a place in the staircase where people drop things that are still good but not needed by their previous owner (mostly books). This works with zero explicit coordination.
I’m kind of amazed/impressed that this works, based on my experience of communal spaces. Don’t people ever leave junk that they can’t be bothered to get rid of? Does anyone adopt responsibility for getting rid of items that have been there a long time and clearly no one wants?
BBQ would not be allowed in my third floor apartment’s balcony as it would stink up the place and it would be dangerous as well and I have no idea where could I store the equipment when not used as we have not much unused space, and my neighbors would be very creeped out if I would just ring on their door and invite them. We live in the same apartment since 2012 and never even talked to neighbors or had a chat. People tend to be very indifferent with each other in this apartment complex and I have no better experience with former ones either. These guys are trying to make a site that acts as an icebreaker—if you really need dog-sitting one day you can try to ask there and if someone helps you out then you have a form of connection and maybe will have a chat after it or something and maybe greet each other and stop for a chat the next time you see each other. The very idea is that the world is urbanizing, due to jobs and all that people who like the more communal village lifestyle are forced into cities where they suffer from the general indifference and impersonality so they try to change it and make cities more village like or suburbia like. They try to counter-act the negative psychological effects of urbanization with a “let’s open our doors to each other” theme.
As for selling data, they have the same data as my utility company. They can link a name with an address. Anyone who walks up to our house will see the name on the door anyway. And a photo, so OK that is more. But overally this is not secret data nor very sensitive.
So don’t have the BBQ on your balcony, but down in the yard. And don’t invite people by knocking, but via old-fashioned nice and friendly handwritten paper letters or a nice and friendly written note on the inside of the building’s door. Bring a grill, a little food and drink, and invite people to contribute their own. I don’t see how this could be easier. In the worst case only two or three people will come, but that’ll be more than this site is likely to do.
I trust my utility company way more than I trust a random startup. Even Facebook, who this obviously competes with, doesn’t ask for scanned identification documents just to access basic functionality.
And you didn’t adress the issue with this site only connecting you with other people who happen to also use it. This alone makes this project unable to compete with simple Facebook neighborhood groups.
But let’s assume they’re super trustworthy and there are people in my neighborhood who use this site. It still looks a lot like a “if you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail” situation. Whatever it is, throw a website and an app at it. Even if a little post-it on the inside of the apartment building’s door would do way more for way less.
We have hundreds of people in this complex. I suspect at least 50% is more extroverted than me as the the uni etc. the ratio was more like 90%. If they did not do the BBQ thing I think I would not have much chance with it…
On the trust. Facebook does not also give you your neighbors location nor a way to check if someone claiming to be in your neighborhood is genuine.
I sort of agree to the extent that showing the address to everybody in the hood is perhaps too much, people would tell each other when they need so, but verifying is IMHO a good idea because it efficiently keeps spammers out. Perhaps sharing the address with everybody in the hood is a way to enforce politeness.
As for the last issue, I have actually a way to test it, as I was looking for a babysitter putting up an ad with a maximal cuteness baby photo in all our 12 stairways. I got two applicants. Out of 12 stairways times 6 levels times dunno like 6 flats. I will put up ads advertising this site some of these days and then if we get like 50 people there try again. But that 2 applicants was for me disappointingly low. Of course it could be that it will be even lower on the site as well.
I though that relates to stuff like accidents or other emergencies. I made a quick google search and could not find anything that would not relate to people being in trouble and needing help. But I do see it can play a role, a certain kind of waiting for each other to start...
If people don’t care when it’s a poster on a stairwell, why are they going to start caring when it’s a message on a website?
I think “website for local area stuff” has a problem where people think they’d use it far more than they actually would. People don’t care about that sort of thing as much as they think they should, and this sort of thing is the digital equivalent of a home exercise machine that people buy, use once and then leave to moulder.
I trust my utility company way more than I trust a random startup. Even Facebook, who this obviously competes with, doesn’t ask for scanned identification documents just to access basic functionality.
But ebay does ask for verifying addresses with postcards. Banks ask for verification of addresses.
Even if a little post-it on the inside of the apartment building’s door would do way more for way less.
I don’t think that post-its in the apartment building’s door are an efficient way to communicate.
If I could reach all the people in my apartment digitally, I do think that would be great. The problem is rather that it’s unlikely that other people in my apartment building would sign up for such a service.
When I pack up packets for neighbors I sometimes would appreciate a digital way to contact the neighbor.
To effectively implement it in Berlin I think there are three choices: 1) Go to big landlords like degewo. Sell them on the idea that it’s an added benefit to have communities in their apartments. Then let them communicate information that’s currently communicated via hang-outs via the website. 2) Cooperate with government programs for neighborhood building in the Soziale Stadt category. 3) Focus on vibrant areas in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg with a lot of young people who are eager to adopt new technology. Encourage new people who sign up to do hangouts in their houses.
From those 1) is likely the best strategy. It shouldn’t cost degewo much money. Having a digital channel to their rentees might even save them money. Degewo runs ads so they care about having the image about being different from other landlords.
It’s like not trying to pick up a girl who did not give you any indicator of interest, like a long look or a smile. Perhaps over-cautious, but avoids a lot of embarrassment.
This seems quite absurd. Why would I give my data to an obscure startup (who’ll probably sell it sooner or later) and hope people in my neighborhood make the same choice, when I can probably have way better results simply inviting my neighbors for a BBQ?
How many barbeques have you actually thrown?
Of the barbeques you have thrown, how many of those have led to mutually beneficial arrangements?
Of those that have led to mutually beneficial arrangments, how many per BBQ?
Now how much time have you put in to arranging those BBQ vs Value gotten from those BBQs?
I don’t know about your answer, but for me (substituting BBQ for dinner party) the answers respectively are probably about 10, 3, less than one, and WAYYY TO MUCH (if these types of arrangments were my only justification for throwing dinner parties.)
Now contrast this to how much time I’ve spent going through the free stuff offered on craigslist, vs the value I’ve gotten from it. The effort/value ratio is probably inverse. I think a startup that takes the “free services/free stuff” part of craigslist, but solves the unique problems of that segment (similar to what AirBNB has done for housing) could offer significant value.
I didn’t do mere BBQs but threw full-on parties with the neighbors (who I didn’t know at all) and other friends. Later two shared apartments in the same house combined held a huge party that spanned the house and included many of the neighbors. Many good friendships came out of that, and a couple of us moved in together later.
The BBQ idea is just a low-threshold variant of that which doesn’t require copious amounts of alcohol.
For free stuff, we just have a place in the staircase where people drop things that are still good but not needed by their previous owner (mostly books). This works with zero explicit coordination.
I’m kind of amazed/impressed that this works, based on my experience of communal spaces. Don’t people ever leave junk that they can’t be bothered to get rid of? Does anyone adopt responsibility for getting rid of items that have been there a long time and clearly no one wants?
The bigger the party, the more investment—This does not scale the same way a website does. Same thing with putting out free stuff on the steps.
BBQ would not be allowed in my third floor apartment’s balcony as it would stink up the place and it would be dangerous as well and I have no idea where could I store the equipment when not used as we have not much unused space, and my neighbors would be very creeped out if I would just ring on their door and invite them. We live in the same apartment since 2012 and never even talked to neighbors or had a chat. People tend to be very indifferent with each other in this apartment complex and I have no better experience with former ones either. These guys are trying to make a site that acts as an icebreaker—if you really need dog-sitting one day you can try to ask there and if someone helps you out then you have a form of connection and maybe will have a chat after it or something and maybe greet each other and stop for a chat the next time you see each other. The very idea is that the world is urbanizing, due to jobs and all that people who like the more communal village lifestyle are forced into cities where they suffer from the general indifference and impersonality so they try to change it and make cities more village like or suburbia like. They try to counter-act the negative psychological effects of urbanization with a “let’s open our doors to each other” theme.
As for selling data, they have the same data as my utility company. They can link a name with an address. Anyone who walks up to our house will see the name on the door anyway. And a photo, so OK that is more. But overally this is not secret data nor very sensitive.
So don’t have the BBQ on your balcony, but down in the yard. And don’t invite people by knocking, but via old-fashioned nice and friendly handwritten paper letters or a nice and friendly written note on the inside of the building’s door. Bring a grill, a little food and drink, and invite people to contribute their own. I don’t see how this could be easier. In the worst case only two or three people will come, but that’ll be more than this site is likely to do.
I trust my utility company way more than I trust a random startup. Even Facebook, who this obviously competes with, doesn’t ask for scanned identification documents just to access basic functionality.
And you didn’t adress the issue with this site only connecting you with other people who happen to also use it. This alone makes this project unable to compete with simple Facebook neighborhood groups.
But let’s assume they’re super trustworthy and there are people in my neighborhood who use this site. It still looks a lot like a “if you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail” situation. Whatever it is, throw a website and an app at it. Even if a little post-it on the inside of the apartment building’s door would do way more for way less.
We have hundreds of people in this complex. I suspect at least 50% is more extroverted than me as the the uni etc. the ratio was more like 90%. If they did not do the BBQ thing I think I would not have much chance with it…
On the trust. Facebook does not also give you your neighbors location nor a way to check if someone claiming to be in your neighborhood is genuine.
I sort of agree to the extent that showing the address to everybody in the hood is perhaps too much, people would tell each other when they need so, but verifying is IMHO a good idea because it efficiently keeps spammers out. Perhaps sharing the address with everybody in the hood is a way to enforce politeness.
As for the last issue, I have actually a way to test it, as I was looking for a babysitter putting up an ad with a maximal cuteness baby photo in all our 12 stairways. I got two applicants. Out of 12 stairways times 6 levels times dunno like 6 flats. I will put up ads advertising this site some of these days and then if we get like 50 people there try again. But that 2 applicants was for me disappointingly low. Of course it could be that it will be even lower on the site as well.
Bystander Effect? The more people there are that could throw a party the less likely it is any particular does. Be the exception.
I though that relates to stuff like accidents or other emergencies. I made a quick google search and could not find anything that would not relate to people being in trouble and needing help. But I do see it can play a role, a certain kind of waiting for each other to start...
If people don’t care when it’s a poster on a stairwell, why are they going to start caring when it’s a message on a website?
I think “website for local area stuff” has a problem where people think they’d use it far more than they actually would. People don’t care about that sort of thing as much as they think they should, and this sort of thing is the digital equivalent of a home exercise machine that people buy, use once and then leave to moulder.
But ebay does ask for verifying addresses with postcards. Banks ask for verification of addresses.
I don’t think that post-its in the apartment building’s door are an efficient way to communicate. If I could reach all the people in my apartment digitally, I do think that would be great. The problem is rather that it’s unlikely that other people in my apartment building would sign up for such a service.
When I pack up packets for neighbors I sometimes would appreciate a digital way to contact the neighbor.
To effectively implement it in Berlin I think there are three choices:
1) Go to big landlords like degewo. Sell them on the idea that it’s an added benefit to have communities in their apartments. Then let them communicate information that’s currently communicated via hang-outs via the website.
2) Cooperate with government programs for neighborhood building in the Soziale Stadt category.
3) Focus on vibrant areas in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg with a lot of young people who are eager to adopt new technology. Encourage new people who sign up to do hangouts in their houses.
From those 1) is likely the best strategy. It shouldn’t cost degewo much money. Having a digital channel to their rentees might even save them money. Degewo runs ads so they care about having the image about being different from other landlords.
How do you know?
It’s like not trying to pick up a girl who did not give you any indicator of interest, like a long look or a smile. Perhaps over-cautious, but avoids a lot of embarrassment.