Chatting online was one of the anchors that made the Internet so successful, and it’s one of the few aspects of the web that came before the establishment of social networks, the placement of search engine, and way before mobile became integral part of our life. While social networks are being utilized, social discovery technology landscape is still up for grabs.
This is where Skout comes in: based in San Francisco, it was founded in 2007 and it focuses on meeting new people nearby. “Many of our users come to Skout to find activity partners and friends, especially when moving to a new city or entering a new phase of life, like graduating college or starting a new job,” states Skout’s website. They they are doing exactly that by utilizing what originally helped start up AOL chat. The application does have other features such as buying virtual gifts as a method of ice breaking and the process of earning points through unlocking photos, but the essence of the site revolves around chatting when it comes to user engagement.
Communications in Skout are fun and easy. New features such as “Wink Bomb” allows you to send out hundreds of messages; this is an effective way of quickly scouting out physical matches. The business model is transparent as well- users buy virtual currency to make them stand out among initial interactions. Through that feature, you can see who viewed your profile and find out who has putting you in their favorite list for short periods of time.
The app can be used on both iPhone and Android; it’s a surprisingly very well made app among its category. Users rarely receive a crash or force close while using the application. The Android team definitely stepped up their technology expertise to utilize the dynamic loading of the user photos. This specific photo loading solution isn’t common but the Skout team definitely nailed it. Not only they have shown their aptness in technology, but they have also showed their deep connection towards their product.
There are two types of wealth in this world: wealth in material and wealth in relationships. Skout is expanding our wealth when it comes meeting new people and making new friends.
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