After the not-so tragic loss of Google + earlier this year, Google is jumping back into the social networking game with a brand-new platform.
The internet giant is looking to breaking into the social media/networking atmosphere with a new platform named Shoelace; as in “tie people together based on their interests — like two laces on a shoe” according to the app’s website.
Shoelace is a hyper-localized social networking app that is set to connect people similar, and not-so similar, to Facebook’s events app/feature.
Users will be able to connect with people in the same city (or certain vicinity) through interests and (most likely) liked-activities. People can join, create or suggest “Loops,” events or activities, and are invited to organize and participate in Loops nearby. Loops seem to act in the similar way of Facebook Events so far, but the app is still in Beta.
The app is also only available to New Yorkers as the app is currently in Invite-only mode.
The project is being built by Googlers as a part of the Area 120 incubator, where employees can experiment with new ideas full-time without having to leave the company. So, it’s not necessarily a Google product, but may end up becoming part of the Google family.
And if Shoelace doesn’t make it, Google might have permission to use its ideas, features and algorithms and integrate them with Google Maps or another future social networking endeavor.
What Makes Shoelace Different
In a world of Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, social media and networking apps don’t have the best impressions as people argue their negative effects worldwide.
Shoelace uses the social networking atmosphere and popularity to encourage people to meet outside of the internet space and do some kind of activity. It’s a nice change of pace, and could help both locals and people who have just moved to a new area find new activities and friends in the real world.
