tom le bree presents streetspark @ canvas8
DESCRIPTION
Tom Le Bree's presentation on behalf of StreetSpark at Canvas8's event 'By chance or by design. Serendipity and the internet' at The Prince's Foundation on the 21 June 2011.TRANSCRIPT
Presented by Tom LeBree June 21/2011
The Serendipity Experiment
What is Serendipity?
unexpected chance meaningful encounters
The Serendipity Experiment
Q -‐ Can we enhance serendipitous encounters with mobile technology?
What is StreetSpark ?• Creates Serendipity by connecGng people through moments in life that maIer.
• Matches users’ shared social acGvity and sends an alert when a match is nearby
• The matches facilitate a spark, which can either be Ignited or ExGnguished
• ‘Social Matching’ using Interest Graphs
• Facilitates real-‐Gme encounters
“Chance favours only the prepared mind.’’ Louis Pasteur
Expecte
d Road
3 Magic Factors
Place
Time
Ac/on
Place and Time
CiGes are serendipity
engines, but most of us just follow the same rouGne, most of the Gme,
with liIle divergence.
We’re very predictable.
Birds of a Feather…
Flock together!
AcGon – online to offline
StreetSpark creates ‘Social matching’ :based on interests & social networking acGvity
Follow the same people on TwiIer
Read the same books and news on GetGlue
Listen to the same bands/musicians on Last FM
‘Like’ the same things on Facebook and Facebook
Groups
Check into the same places on FourSquare
Watch the same movies on Ne`lix
Familiar Strangers?Jim and Gina:
• Both ran the London Marathon
• Socialise at Soho House• Go to Reading on the weekends
• Love watching cricket• Just read ‘Visit from the Goon Squad’
• Are parGal to Karaoke• Read The Observer religiously• Believe in Astrology• Downloaded Jaime Oliver cooking app
• Listened to the Beatles ‘Yellow Submarine‘ this week
What we’ve learnt• Strangers matched on social interests are more likely to ignite (compared to profile info only)
• Strangers more willing to meet when there are overlaps in personality (even places they like)
• People will take risks (if they feel there is potenGal of finding something ‘special’)
• People want an excuse to be spontaneous• They see serendipitous encounters as romanGc
THE EXPERIMENTCONTINUES…
What’s next for StreetSpark?
It’s business /me…
Reference material and photos Thanks to:• Desperately Seeking Serendipity – Ethan Zuckerman (hIp://
bit.ly/j8UIlO )
• Google Images