Meetup.com Review

I'm one of those people that like to join official organizations and keep myself involved in local activities, even if it means getting labeled in a stereotypical way for associating with a specific club or group. Now that I have moved to a new part of the country, I find myself once again looking around for different activist groups, social gatherings, and other ways to fill my time. One web site that has helped me get connected is Meetup.com, a web service for keeping notified.

Web Site Commentary:

Meetup.com is designed to help people find other people with a common interest. It sorts is different meeting groups by topic and by city. Using the Meetups by Topic function, members can lookup subjects and then find out if any organized gatherings are scheduled for their area. Meetups by City allows members a way to lookup different meetups arranged by geographic location. If you cannot find what you want, Meetup.com also offers the ability to create/define your own group or club and schedule your own meetings. Once you have joined a group, Meetup.com will send you an e-mail whenever the group has planned a meeting. The service will also e-mail you about other happenings in your local area.

I have been a member of Meetup.com for two months now and it has proven to be an effective way to meet people with similar interests. Browsing through the categories yields a very broad range of topics/interests. Members can meet groups associated with topics that run the gamut, from atheism, to knitting, to foreign travel. And if you cannot find a group that you like and have something unique to share, no problem: Meetup.com gives you the opportunity to setup your own group, organize meetings, and meet other people who share your common interest. There is, however, a small recurring fee to pay if you organize your own group but it could be worth it if it means finding others who share your passion for a specific subject. Also, Meetup.com will help you promote your group by sending an e-mail to all of the members in your local area who have signed up for alerts on your chosen topic and the site will provide flyers to print. There is also a 30- day money back guarantee if the organization attempt doesn't meet your expectations.

Setting up a new account in Meetup.com is very simple. About all you need to enter is your name and geographic location. You can download a photo if you like, but this is not necessary. I was surprised at the simplicity of joining because I assumed there would be dozens of questions to answer so that the site would find out where my interests lie and then recommend some specific meetings in my area. But Meetup.com doesn't work this way. It is a self- directed site. You join, and then it is up to you to find groups that interest you.

Joining a group at Meetup.com is simple and it requires clicking on the red "Sign up for This Meetup" icon. This procedure is easy to understand but this level of simplicity could be viewed as both an asset and a liability. If you prefer to browse and find groups to join on your own, then the way this site works will be just what you like. But if you would rather have the site help you find groups based on personal interests, you will be disappointed. Meetup.com could solve this problem by including a quick questionnaire about member interests when they sign up but it does not do this. It leaves the searching to you.

Bottom Line:

Overall, Meetup.com is a good service that I hope gets enhanced in the near future. There are so many directions a site like this can take, it will be interesting to see what the people in charge decide to do. In the meantime, members can still utilize what Meetup.com has to offer. It is a good place to go when you want to find local people who share a common interest, make friends, and get involved.