by emily bosak
12/4/2009 6:37:00 AM
Next time you and your friends plan to get together, make sure that no one gets left behind. Ever since the creation of Facebook, users can connect with one another by writing on each other’s walls – “Don’t forget to come over at 9!” For a larger event or gathering, users can also create an event. They give the event a title, description, the date, time, and address where it is taking place. The next step is to send an invitation to everyone the user wants to include. Those chosen friends have a choice as to whether or not they are going to attend, and can leave comments on the event page.
Thehotlist.com is a similar idea to Facebook events, except it’s on steroids. With thehotlist.com, Facebook users are looking at a new use of an old social media tool. Its uses seem virtually endless.
The Old Way to Send an Invite:
In the past, when we’ve wanted to host an event, we did it through e-mail, snail mail, or a simple telephone call. The guest list would be written on the computer, a piece of scrap paper or the back of a napkin, depending on the type of person you are. You would be waiting up until the last minute to hear back from guests, and you would have to send out directions multiple times to those who didn’t know where the event was. The thought of sitting in front of the computer and getting MapQuest to load and search for the right address is almost sickening now. Why? Because it takes far too long.
An Innovative Idea:
With thehotlist.com, users can get all the information they need with just one click. The website itself synchronizes with Facebook so you don’t get confused remembering which site to go to update information. In an age where technology such as iPods and cell phones can be synchronized, it’s time to do the same with social media websites. Users don’t have time to go to multiple websites to manually update information because even a small change can be time consuming.
The Hotlist website not only tells you who is going to the event, but it also breaks down the specifics of the group by age, girl-to-guy ratio, and who belongs to which network. Knowing simple stats like this helps to determine finer details of an event. In addition, you can also view how friends have rated a certain place or get access to reviews from nearby establishments where the event is occurring. This eliminates the step of going to a website like Google Maps to see what is nearby and websites such as yelp.com to find reviews. Because the reviews come from people you know, this gives you the opportunity to ask them for a more detailed account as opposed to that anonymous user on Yelp.com who had one bad experience. Thehotlist.com has taken essential components from different social networking sites and rolled them into one, eliminating the amount of research you have to do before leaving the house and doing it using only one website.
The Future of Hotlist:
Ultimately, thehotlist.com provides the potential for more events with friends and increased social interaction. Information is not as likely to get lost in the grapevine because you have access to all of the fine details. Currently, the website is only limited to Facebook users that are part of a college network (current student or alumni). Seeing it expand to other social networking sites is a step to increasing the accessibility of the application for users who are not part of a college network and also for those who don’t have Facebook. It is a tool that can be used by family members to create events for reunions, holiday get-togethers, and birthday parties. Business companies can use it to set up meetings or other business gatherings outside of work. Non-profit organizations can use it to promote fundraising events.
As the future of thehotlist.com and other social media websites continues to evolve, there is no doubt that we will begin seeing similar web apps being combined with other social networking sites. Even more appealing is that these websites have the potential to become much more user-defined by pulling up results based on the user’s preferences. The website, which is already in agreement with Blackberry and iPhone, can be made even more accessible by becoming a downloadable app for other cell phones. Eventually, it may even have the potential to become a generic website application that can be downloaded by any user, even if they are not a member of any social networking websites.