Google Buys Dodgeball
I cannot believe how many people sent me the news that Google has bought Dodgeball, an SMS meetup service. So, first off:
- Thank you Nicholas,
- thank you Justin,
- thank you Derrick,
- and thank you, Wayne
It makes more sense if you set it to music.
Dodgeball is a social networking service for mobile phones. Users sign in on their phones and notify the service where they are, which then lets friends know which friends are in the area. Basically, it lets you navigate your social scene. BoingBoing called it “social software for mobile phones”. Basically, the killer app for Dodgeball is signing in, finding out your friend Joe has a friend Wendy who is at a newsstand two blocks away, and walking up to her and saying “I didn’t know people actually named their kids Wendy”.
Alex and Dennis of Dodgeball say in the their members that they are excited to now have the resources to make the service bigger. One can only wonder what Google’s plans are for the service.
A little Alanis Morissette?
Comment by Jason | May 12, 2005
Not what I was thinking, but that does seem to work a lot better.
Comment by Nathan Weinberg | May 12, 2005
“You Are Here” + Google Local + Google Maps
Comment by Brock | May 12, 2005
It seems to me that Dodgeball has a potential darkside as well: It would be the perfect tool for drug dealers and prostitutes to get together with their clients easily.
Comment by Stephen Munday | May 12, 2005
Not being au fait with all this; would Dodgeball enable anyone stealing a phone to also target the friends of the victim? Petty criminals could terrorise friends and relatives of anyone who’s phone they steal…?
Druggies & hookers I don’t care about but anyone can be mugged.
Comment by Tim di Meo | May 13, 2005
Hello
Just wanted to know if you guys will have an affiliate program that I could join. I really like the application and would like my visitors to have it.
Thank you and keep up the good work
Comment by Issy | May 13, 2005
Issy, I’m not sure what you mean. If you’d like to contact me, there are email addresses below.
Comment by Nathan Weinberg | May 13, 2005