RSSFacebook tool gets students to share rides
By Brittany Febert
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: News
Facebook.com grants its more than 55 million members the ability to communicate with friends, find information and, now, organize carpools.
Facebook is continuously adding new applications to its network to give users a more interactive experience. This summer, Facebook added Carpool - an application that allows students to post their location and destination and whether they need a ride or want to fill empty seats in their car.
Carpool application users have the choice to accept riders from only their school or from other schools as well.
The carpool application came from a Web site called Zimride.com and was added to Facebook five months ago when the applications feature was created.
More than 21,000 students have added the application to their home pages. Almost 650 use the application daily.
Security is an important issue when it comes to giving out information and meeting people through the Internet, said John Zimmer, an adviser for Zimride.com. Zimride.com and Carpool creators are building a feedback and verification forum into the application for added safety.
"Students can see pictures to make sure the person is who they say they are," Zimmer said.
Students search for rides within the application. If no match is found, they can make posts to the message board and wait for a response.When making a post, students have the option to indicate how much money they expect from a rider or how much they are willing to pay for a ride.
The program's environmentally friendly nature was one reason the application was created. Sharing rides saves gas, which conserves resources and decreases the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that are released into the air.
Nick Kruse, '08, came across the application through his interest in the environment. He plans to promote the carpool application by handing out cards to students with instructions on how to access the application. Kruse said he does not think the application will be successful if only a few students add the application to their home page.
Carpool is not the only Facebook application that provides students with a way to search for rides. Carpool King and iCarpool are similar applications. Students can find rides in other countries, including China, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan with Carpool King. iCarpool keeps a cumulative tally of the amount of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and gasoline an individual has saved by making carpool arrangements.
Facebook is continuously adding new applications to its network to give users a more interactive experience. This summer, Facebook added Carpool - an application that allows students to post their location and destination and whether they need a ride or want to fill empty seats in their car.
Carpool application users have the choice to accept riders from only their school or from other schools as well.
The carpool application came from a Web site called Zimride.com and was added to Facebook five months ago when the applications feature was created.
More than 21,000 students have added the application to their home pages. Almost 650 use the application daily.
Security is an important issue when it comes to giving out information and meeting people through the Internet, said John Zimmer, an adviser for Zimride.com. Zimride.com and Carpool creators are building a feedback and verification forum into the application for added safety.
"Students can see pictures to make sure the person is who they say they are," Zimmer said.
Students search for rides within the application. If no match is found, they can make posts to the message board and wait for a response.When making a post, students have the option to indicate how much money they expect from a rider or how much they are willing to pay for a ride.
The program's environmentally friendly nature was one reason the application was created. Sharing rides saves gas, which conserves resources and decreases the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that are released into the air.
Nick Kruse, '08, came across the application through his interest in the environment. He plans to promote the carpool application by handing out cards to students with instructions on how to access the application. Kruse said he does not think the application will be successful if only a few students add the application to their home page.
Carpool is not the only Facebook application that provides students with a way to search for rides. Carpool King and iCarpool are similar applications. Students can find rides in other countries, including China, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan with Carpool King. iCarpool keeps a cumulative tally of the amount of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and gasoline an individual has saved by making carpool arrangements.
