Wisconsin State Journal

Meet here: Internet site helps those with similar interests find each other

ERIKA JANIK
April 3, 2006

In 2004, Howard Dean's presidential campaign grabbed headlines for its innovative use of the Internet. It built an army of volunteers through Meetup.com, a networking tool.

The service continues to be popular, and in Madison, it's uniting hundreds of people, from the politically minded to scrapbookers and knitters. Since 2002, more than 4000 people in the Madison area have joined Meetup.com.

"Meetups are a powerful way of connecting with local people based on shared interest," said Rob Howard, communications professor at UW-Madison. "Their growth in popularity is clear evidence that people are not always satisfied by electronic communication."

Founded in 2002, Meetup.com gives people the tools to find each other. It appears to be working, and not just in the United States: Meetup has more than 2.5 million members in 55 countries.

"Meetup is using the Internet to get people off the Internet," said Myles Weissleder, vice-president of public affairs for Meetup.

Type in where you live and what your interests are - rat terriers, coffee, investment - and the Meetup site will tell you where and when rat terrier fans, coffee addicts, and money mavens are meeting over the next two weeks. There also is a running list of people with a shared interest waiting for a leader to bring them together. Meetup sends an automatic message to the group when an organizer comes forward.

Groups usually meet at least once a month and are open to everyone. They gather in public places such as coffee shops and libraries though some also meet at homes or offices. Organizers pay a monthly fee of $19, which often is split among members: a few Meetups have managed to find sponsors to cover the costs.

Meetup used to be free but administrative costs forced the company to charge an organization fee.

Although Meetup is more associated with the left because of the Dean campaign, conservative groups such as the Heritage Foundation used Meetup as a model for organizing supporters on their own site, townhall.com.

"It would be hard to put a group like ours together without a tool like Meetup," said Russell Wallace, organizer of the Democracy for Wisconsin Meetup.

"Our meetings are fun, social events, not boring political party meetings."

The Democracy for Wisconsin Meetup came out of the Dean campaign and continues to be the largest group in Madison with over 500 registered users.

Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager spoke at their last meeting in February, and Kathleen Falk will appear in April.

Not every group is expressly political. Other Madison groups include Investor's Business Daily, Fight Big Media, Knitters, and GBLTPagans. Moms' groups are the fastest growing group nationally and Madison is no exception.

Madison's New #1 Mommy and Tots Playgroup has 75 members who trade parenting tips and plan playgroups. Member Gina Parrish first heard about Meetup through work. She joined to find children for her 1- and 2-year old to play with.

"It was a good way to find people in the area and a good excuse to get out of the house," said Parrish. She also recently started a scrapbook meetup in Madison.

"I love that you can google 'Madison scrapbooking' and find us," Parrish said. "We swap ideas and tools and find friends in a less formal setting than a scrapbook store."

Meetup is not the only social networking site but unlike YahooGroups or MySpace, it is the only one that seeks deliberately to create offline social groups.

Despite their popularity, online networks - however powerful - can also lessen the sense of shared community on the everyday level, says Howard.

Because groups form spontaneously and lack sustained commitment, members may not support more institutionalized forms of public action and community. But they can be galvanized into real-world group action that does not require long-term obligations, said Howard.

"This is the new brave world of community building," said Meetup's Weissleder. "We hope people realize that there is power in groups."

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