Google is a search engine. Dodgeball is an online social networking service. What could the two possibly have in common to make Google decide to buy Dodgeball? A closer look at the deal reveals a lot more potential synergy than you might think.
I’ve never been interested in living in a big city. With the direction I’m seeing technology trends going lately, though, that means I miss out on some fun and useful services. For instance, those who can remember services that were around before the technology bubble burst back in 2001 may recall Webvan, an online grocery delivery service that operated in large cities such as New York and San Francisco before declaring bankruptcy. In mid-May, Google purchased Dodgeball, an online company with a rather different city-based service.
Dodgeball offers an online social networking service that actually encourages friends to meet offline. It makes use of cell phone text messaging. Basically, it works like this: when you go out to a bar, restaurant, nightclub, or other local gathering spot, you can send a text message to Dodgeball checking in your location. Dodgeball then sends a text message to your Dodgeball-using friends that tells them where you are, and suggests that they drop by and say hi.
Dodgeball doesn’t stop there, though. After contacting your friends, it finds out whether any friends of your friends who use Dodgeball are currently within 10 blocks of your location. If they are, Dodgeball sends them a text message that lets them know where you are and the name of your mutual friend. If their phone supports it, the message may include a photo. As with friends, it’s up to the recipient of the text message whether to stop by. I don't know about you, but I’ve rarely been disappointed when I’ve met friends of friends informally. In this case, Dodgeball is clearly offering an opportunity to expand your social network that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
The service gets even more intriguing from this point. The company founders realized that you don’t suddenly become immune to getting a crush on someone after you graduate from high school. So Dodgeball lets you list up to five other Dodgeball members on whom you have crushes. If your crush checks in within 10 blocks of where you have checked in, Dodgeball sends two messages: first, your crush gets a message that tells them your name and location, and second, you get a message that lets you know that one of your crushes is nearby (so you should “make yourself look nice”).
Users can also contact Dodgeball to help them find the address of a particular venue. Additionally, as you would expect to be able to do given the features already described, Dodgeball members can send a message to all of their friends for an impromptu get-together. As of this writing, Dodgeball’s service is available in 22 cities throughout the United States, including New York, Miami, Denver, Seattle, Phoenix, Houston, Chicago, and New Orleans.
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