I like the concept a lot. Here's what I see as it's advantages over striking up face-to-face conversation:<p>1. the other people actually want to chat -- If the other people are signed on, then they're looking to chat and you're not interrupting the guy trying to read the paper.<p>1.5. the other people are also on messageparty -- which is a filter in itself, especially at this point. like begets like, and the chance of engaging conversation multiplies.<p>2. it's mass broadcast -- you're talking with everyone, not just one person, so you're more likely to find one person interesting among everyone at your location. I find this a much better than the "live" alternative of "speed dating" everyone at certain location just to engage in conversation that both parties actually care about.<p>3. people are uninterruptible -- just try getting 20 people talking in a room at the same time in the same place and still understand what's going on. with text chat, everyone's writing is on the screen and you don't miss a thing.<p>4. distance is relative -- sure, the hot chick 2 seats away from you in class is literally only 3 feet away, but the douchebag stranger between you two obviously won't appreciate being bothered.<p>5. as a student, i would totally use this in class -- sometimes you miss what the prof said, sometimes you just don't care what the prof says, or you want to find some tech-loving geeks to be in your study group<p>PS: for the founders -- please release for ipod touch and ipad wifi! we have (approximate) location abilities too!
From the founders comment (in the comment section):<p><i>"...Sometimes people are curious about those around them but it's socially unacceptable to just go up and chat. So those meetings never really happen."</i><p>I can't think of an instance where it's more socially acceptable to poke at a phone keyboard than to talk with a human being face to face. Maybe in a movie theater? Maybe at 24 I'm already ridiculously too old to understand the greatness of texting/chatting but ... it's pretty rude?<p>From the homepage:<p><pre><code> Concerts and Sporting events :
Shouldn't you be enjoying the event with the people you went with?
School :
Students should be learning not chatting.
It's also rude and disrespectful to the teacher.
Mall:
I guess this is valid for tweens or something.
If I was a virtual-chatty-cathy,
I would be more comfortable at home than with people on the run at the mall.
Airport :
Lot's of time to kill okay this is valid! (though still sad) =(
</code></pre>
I am really trying to understand this product but at the moment, as others have stated, this is pretty sad.
Interesting technology, terrible marketing. I wonder how "social" the culture really is with that group.<p>I could be on my own here, but the author is right - if a bus stop conversation ever occurred like that, it would be a sad day for humanity.
I'm not sure about the marketing here; I felt the same way as the author of the post with the anti-social aspect, but yet I now want to try it out for myself and I don't think it's a startup I'll forget.<p>If it had shown something more conventional, like a man and woman meeting in person on the bus because of their chat, I'm not sure it would have stuck in my head long enough to check it out.
Cute video but it does a terrible job of selling the idea to me.<p>Chat on it's own doesn't appeal much but including photo and video would change things. Being able to open my phone and see all the photos from the party so far would provide more fuel for real world interaction, not less.<p>Normally our party photos are lost on someones hard drive because noone cares about uploading them a week later when they remember.
I do not own an iPhone, or any type of phone for that matter, and well I can't tell enough about your app to persuade me into purchasing it; if I had one. Apps are simple-esc. It would be very easy for you to take that image to the right(screen shot) and turn it into a look-a-like "demo".<p>People who are visiting your site can chat back and forth, and kind of get a feel for what it's all about. Your app is all about being in the same place at the same time? Show it off.<p>You commercial also bugs me. It seems so sad, even the humorous parts bum me out. At least have them meet or someone say hi. You could do another, much shorter version, of some college kids in the quad. Have one IM another, IM another and get a big group together having a party, tossing a Frisbee, playing D&D. You could even go the more adult version and have someone getting laid; sex sells big time, think of your target audience.<p>Over all I think the idea is amazing. It's like an IRL ChatRoulette. I can see this getting popular without any help. Good luck and great job.
I was thinking about this same thing. But instead of connecting people simply based on proximity I choose to connect them based on proximity and intent (<a href="http://spotted.at" rel="nofollow">http://spotted.at</a>). I think that adds much more relevance to the connection. I don't want to sound like a hater but I really just don't get this chatparty.com thing. Even as far as chat apps go its really just not very good.
Yeah, it's an interesting concept, but why not just strike up a conversation? Should be called Wallflower messenger. Could be interesting though as lowering the social barrier for those people could create interesting possibilities.