Facebook is passe!

Ever heard of a Melbournian getting 8 people together for a game of poker, in no more then 3 hours time, all on the very same day he arrives … in Sydney? Meet Getalife.com.au - a local, Australian owned and run networking site that is taking 'social networking’ from cyberspace into a real-life world.

With all respect to my Facebook buddies, but to all those who ‘request’ to be my friend because you like My Profile I say: let’s not get carried away here. I usually don’t make friends because we once had the same boss, share a Hotmail contact or because, spare me, you “poke” me. Pelease.

If you want to be my friend, come and meet me in real life. Let’s have a chat. Err, down at the local pub I mean. Yours or mine. Or join me on next weekends’ bushwalk around the Inner West Bay!

What is so social about Facebook, or MySpace, or Bebo or Linkedin anyway? Social. Noun: a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity. Adjective: 1. marked by friendly companionship with others; "a social cup of coffee";2. living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups; "human beings are social animals"; "spent a relaxed social evening". (Source: World Reference. http://www.wordreference.com/definition/social)

The good news, for Australians and visitors, is that there now is a website that lives up to what one may expect from a self proclaimed social site: connecting people to meet for a realcup of coffee. Or for a game of soccer at Centennial Park, or a games night at Chris’ place. Or a poke at mine ;-) Meet: Getalife.com.au – Australia's first ‘activity based’ social networking site.

Getalife.com.au offers easy to use tools for people to connect with each other based around sporting, cultural or recreational activities. The activity might be a one-off, like finding a couple of buddies for a kayaking trip up Brisbane River. Others get together regularly, like reading groups. If members can’t find what they’re looking for, they can create a group or activity of their own and invite others to join. Members can start activity groups or build up contact lists (activity networks) of people who may be interested to share real life activities. Anything goes, from bushwalking to white water weekends to art appreciation or Friday night drinks after work.

In just 2,5 years Getalife has grown, via word of mouth, to 30,000 members who have created more than 7500 activities and 1000 active interest groups. On any given day, Getalife’s calendar now features more than 250 upcoming events.

It is obvious that Getalife.com.au struck a cord in the hearts and minds of singles, couples, travelers, migrants and just ordinary city-slickers who are not attracted to formal social clubs, dating sites, commercial tour operators or experience retailers. Instead, they look for alternative, contemporary and independent ways to connect with people in real life, get involved in a wide range of activities, meet people and perhaps find ‘love and relationship’ on their own terms. Whenever, wherever, whatever.

A number of groups started on Getalife have become very active and creative. Take the “The Sydney Booklovers”, arguably the most active readers club in NSW. The 100 members of the Foodies, Gourmans and Cuisine Junkies invite each other to their favourite local restaurant once a month. The 1000th group to be started on Getalife, by a Canadian who arrived in Sydney just four months ago, has now 80 people helping him find the “restaurant-that-serves-the-best-pizza”. A recently started group, Late Notice, is successfully staging very last minute dinner parties, games nights and lawn bowling events.

It all comes down to authenticity and credibility. Rare and valuable commodities in the age of pokes, cyber kisses and the tons of sleaze and phony member profiles dumped on us. At Getalife, you get personally invited by real members to real events. Not because you fit profile of some marketing campaign or sales prospect, but simply because the organizer of the event enjoys your company.

On Getalife, there is little to do for people just out for some online entertainment. The site wants its users to get out and do stuff. Besides, the subscription rates, albeit low, seem to be doing a good job at keeping the jokers away.

What Youtube.com is for home video, www.last.fm for music, Blogger.com for blogs, MySpace for personal home pages, that is Getalife.com.au for activities and events: people cutting out the middle man to exchange experiences in the real world... on their own terms.

Serial networkers, advertisers and web-publishers drooling at the thought of being at the centre of a worldwide web of contacts, consumers and visitors may like to try (to) getalife!