The Evolution of a Mobile Services Provider in a Global Context: Upoc as a Case in Point
Posted by Bala Mulloth on March 28th, 2008 filed in Social NetworkingComment now »
The Evolution of a Mobile Services Provider in a Global Context: Upoc as a Case in Point
Abstract
Field research was conducted on Upoc, a New York City based mobile services company which is a subsidiary of Dada, an Italian-based provider of web and mobile entertainment services. Upoc hosts social networking groups for
An Exploration on Mobile Social Networking: Dodgeball as a Case in Point
Posted by Bala Mulloth on March 28th, 2008 filed in Social NetworkingComment now »
An Exploration on Mobile Social Networking: Dodgeball as a Case in Point
Abstract
With the evolution of the mobile platform and the rapid adoption of mobile devices such as cell phones and
Green Drinks NYC- March Meetup
Posted by Bala Mulloth on March 18th, 2008 filed in Cleantech4 Comments »
I was at “The Plumm” last Tuesday night (March 11, 2008) for the March meetup of NYC Green Drinks. Green Drinks is an international network of social gatherings for the environmental community to meet-up over drinks and talk about “green” and environmental issues every month in chapters all over the Unites States, as well as Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. The gathering welcomes people from all walks of life, including simply interested citizens, activists and business entrepreneurs. A much spoken about nightspot in the trendy meat-packing district, “The Plumm” was an attraction in itself for me to attend. At the door I was greeted (confronted?) by a bouncer who handed out name tags as a way to ‘’display” ourselves to random strangers we were going to meet that night. We were also told to write something funny about ourselves under our names. I thought for a moment and wrote “Researcher and Hand Model”. After all, I had participated as a “Hand Model” in a documentary on coffee shops at my favorite café (The Roasting Plant) close to where I live in the Lower East (more on this in a later blog!)
After having entered the club, there was a suggested donation of $10, in order to help support Green Drinks with tasks such as daily operations, web-hosting, managing mailing lists, publishing a monthly newsletter, customer service, finding venues and marketing. I searched my pocket and found two crumpled 5’s and made my way into the main bar area and floor. I was instantly surprised to see the number of people in attendance- the place was packed wall-to-wall with people sipping over-priced drinks ( places which charge $8 for a Heineken is not usually my style). Margaret Lydecker who founded New York City’s Green Drinks back in 2002 was as usual her charismatic self and was perched on the podium trying to get people’s attention for a few announcements. She came across as someone who was extremely personable and friendly and she eventually succeeded in getting people to lower their voices and pay attention to the announcements being made.
Margaret’s passion for this event was evident- after all she had watched it grow into the largest chapter in the world. At the first NYC Green Drinks, there were just three people, Margaret Lydecker and two others. That number grew exponentially and as of November 2007 NYC green drinks had over 7,000 members and between 300 to 500 attendees at each event. She was the common link who almost everyone knew and everyone wanted to speak to.
As I tried to network with a glass of white wine in hand (apparently, beers and shots won’t do when impressing someone is your purpose!) , I stumbled across several people- some interesting, some weird and some downright creepy. I met a student from Columbia University who was involved in the SIPA Sustainability workshop and the Earth Institute; a partner who worked for a major energy firm who was very interested in learning more about some of the initiatives I am participating in as part of the Brooklyn Enterprise on Science and Technology (BEST) at Polytechnic University (more in a later blog) and an employee of GreenDepot, an organization which provides a wide selection of environmentally friendly products to a world where sustainability is an overriding concern. It was fascinating to meet these people all in one place. I also happened to met a woman who asked me if I was also a “foot model”, while commenting that she would really like to see my hands in action! (yes, that was creepy and I was quick to move on, hoping my girlfriend who was also attending had not noticed).
It was now around 9:30PM and the place was slowly opening up to the general public. The remaining attendees had moved on to exchanging phone numbers and business cards and in some cases enquiring whether and when they could rendezvous again with their new connections. Having made some interesting contacts and had a good time in general, I left with my girlfriend and a friend to eat Mexican next door at El Rey Del Sol (try the Chimichanga).
A little history about Green Drinks- Active in over 285 member cities around the world, the networking event serves as an excellent platform for people from diverse fields and areas with a mutual interest in environmental issues to come together, cross pollinate, meet and drink in a low key social environment at a different venue every month. It functions as a common meeting ground for people who wish to connect, not just within their own fields but also to find out what people in other fields are doing—in the fashion world, media, real estate, finance etc. The groups try to keep each meeting simple and unstructured, so that conversations—and ideas—flow.
The idea was originally founded in London in 1989 by Edwin Datschefski in a small pub called ‘The Slug and Lettuce’. It started out when Datschefski and a few of his green design colleagues were having drinks at the bar. They noticed that an environmentally minded acquaintance and friends were sitting at a nearby table. The tables were soon pulled together, and the Green Drinks movement was born.
Green Drinks is a very simple concept; but it has now evolved into a global phenomenon. What started out as a group of friends gathering in a