Many of us find it difficult to look for people who share similar interests and passions as us. Although over a period of time, due to geographic similarity or common circumstances, we are able to formulate a community full of people who are generally palatable. However, imagine if you could create a community that shared your values and beliefs, and your passions. With Meetup, it has become possible.
There is no doubt that computers have made it very easy for us to connect with our loved ones. Truly, with the advent of social networking platforms, we now remain connected even with those distant relatives with whom we would otherwise never have stayed in touch.
But social media still keeps our circle limited to the people we know, unless we are willing to talk to complete strangers. Of course, talking to strangers is not preferred since there is little to no prior information about what a person is going to turn out like, which means many such interactions end up getting wasted. This is where platforms such as Meetup can prove to be exceptionally useful.
What Is Meetup
Meetup is an application that uses machine learning techniques to allow for the development of an algorithm powerful enough to sift through large amounts of data. This data is provided by regular people who, just like yourself, are looking for other people to become a part of their community based upon personal liking and disliking, among a multitude of other factors.
The platform then links people who share common interests with each other so that they can talk and see if there is compatibility between the two parties.
Starting out
It is not very difficult to use Meetup. All you have to do is create a group and fill in details which are as true to reality as possible. Even if you don’t already have a couple of people to start out a group page on Meetup, that’s fine.
You can fill in the details by imagining what kind of qualities you’d want in the members who would ultimately join your group. Think about a group name that accurately gives out your group’s persona, while entering details such as your location and the topics your group is most interested in will attract the relevant audience.
Official Review
To ensure that Meetup remains a safe space for people to connect with each other, every new group that is created goes through a review by a member of Meetup HQ. This member goes through all the details you input while setting up your group, ensuring that your information aligns well with the community guidelines of Meetup.
The Power of Algorithms
After your group page passes the review, it is time for recruitment of some group members. The filters you have placed on your group page (if any) will also go live, allowing you to target people who fall within a certain demographic. For example, if you want only women in your suburb to be a part of your group, then Meetup will ensure that its algorithm finds those women for you.
The need for such an algorithm is paramount, and it is exactly the brilliance of its architecture and function that makes Meetup a great place to develop your personalized group. Considering the fact that the platform hosts millions of users and receives requests for the creation of more than 500 new accounts on a daily basis, an algorithm like the one which Meetup has becomes a requirement. Taking into account the information which you plug into the system, Meetup goes through all the accounts in its network to find the ones best suited to join your new group.
To make the matches more accurate, Meetup also employs machine learning, which basically means that its algorithm is smarter than just matching information between members. For example, if one of the interests of your group is scuba diving, the algorithm will not only match your group to members interested in scuba diving, but will also link to those who are interested in snorkeling. This way, you won’t miss out on people who although share a similar interest yet would’ve been excluded simply because they used different words to describe their interests.
