The Point is a brilliant new website that gives like-minded people the power to harness their like-mindedness and convert it into action.
Anyone can sign up to create a free campaign to do something like raise money, plan an event, boycott a company or advocate on behalf of some cause. There are other places to do this online, but the Point stands out in part because, as the site’s creators explain, “no one is obligated to do anything unless a campaign reaches its ‘tipping point.’ At the tipping point, everyone springs into action, knowing they have the numbers to make a difference.”
Take, for example, a campaign called “Make Chipotle Healthier” which reads: “Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. must add healthy whole wheat tortillas & brown rice or else we will boycott & trash talk the business.” So far, only six people have committed to this boycott, but in order for it to go into effect, 500 people must commit to the campaign. Once 500 people have signed up, they collectively go into action.
I committed to a campaign to boycott Southwest Airlines unless the company re-instates its recently abandoned family pre-boarding policy. I’m one of 44 people to sign up, but the campaign needs 2,000 people to go into effect.
The site is only a month or so old, so there aren’t a lot of active campaigns. One of the first campaigns on the site was initiated by The Point’s CEO Andrew Mason. It’s a social contract among Point employees to take turns bringing each other lunch one week. “I’m going to bring sandwiches,” he writes in the campaign called “Let’s feed each other lunch”. Andrew includes a picture of a pretty lackluster looking sandwich, which may explain why only two of the necessary five people have committed to the campaign.
Andrew, you might want to try one of these instead. Or one of these:
Recipe: Anise Pork Sandwich With Carrots And Cilantro
Recipe: Ham, Pear And Gruyère Sandwich
(via Techcrunch)
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This is a brilliant site. It’s the kind of site I love that uses the web in a unique way and enables a type of action that’s difficult — if not impossible — without the web.
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