Google Maps-based Mezzoman prevents family fights
Written on February 18, 2008 – 3:47 pm
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Problem 1: when one of my best friends and me want to meet, we always have discussion about the place to go to. Since he lives in the southern part of Amsterdam and my apartment is in the north-east, we have a mutual agreement to meet in the middle. Yet for some reason, our definitions of the ‘middle’ are always slightly different.
Problem 2: a Dutch correspondent in the US once told me that when American families meet for Thanksgiving or Christmas, they just drive to a location that is located in the middle. US visitors of the Next Web Blog can probably verify this, right? These families probably have the same discussions as my friend and me do. The result: family fights about a driving a few miles more.
Solution: As with most great solutions: they’re stupid yet brilliant ideas. This time I found one in the Museum of Modern Betas. It’s called the Mezzoman and it will prevent a lot of people from fighting. It uses Google Maps and some pre-defined search terms - such as Italian food - to show my friend, American families and everybody else out there the way to the perfect meeting point.
The service and its Facebook app are still in beta. Hopefully the guys behind this initiative will expand it somewhat, since options are very limited now. Why not use more services than just Google Maps and Facebook? Mezzoman could also show some reviews, link to blog articles about the spot and find some Flickrpics of the place. That will make the act of preventing fights even more fun.
I hope you like that post!
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The Next Web Blog is closely associated with The Next Web Conference which is held annually in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. At this event speakers from all over the world come together to talk about, and show of, the future of the Web. (
