Recently, I’ve been reminded about the appropriateness of texting someone in the evening or early morning. Unlike email, SMS is more synchronous communication due to the fact that people tend to leave their phones on and respond to the ringer when it goes off. Texting someone late at night is almost like calling them while they’re in bed - not cool. If you need to alert your group, try to keep it in “9-to-9″ (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) unless its really urgent. Your group will thank you

Some groups have been using Padpaw for ride sharing. If someone needs a ride, they send a “post [group name]” with their request. Someone will chime in with an offer quickly and they can make their arrangements off-line. We’ll be working on making the off-line communications easier.

Talked to a manager for a band the other day about getting important information to them

“They don’t read their email! When I call their cell and leave a voice mail, they don’t check it! The only thing they pay attention to is a text message.”

One of the key requirements for a successful group is for the organizer to have a profound respect for their members’ time. Keeping people out of the loop, not giving updates on possible changes, and leaving important details to members to “figure it out” increases stress and decreases performance.

Advertising to groups offers a lot of advantages over traditional desktop or mobile web business models (i.e. Adwords). The trick is in knowing when the group is active; what they’re doing, when and where they are.

Traditionally, web services (whether desktop or mobile) have a model of where you assume an individual is interacting (reading, posting, playing a game, etc.) one at a time. Google built there business not on content, but around a task of finding information. If someone is looking for information on digital cameras, its safe to assume they might buy in the near future, here’s an ad success. This works great as long as you get a growing stream of people to look at ads and click on them.

A lot of mobile web sites seem to follow this model today. Again, assuming an individual is looking at the site. This might work when someone is killing time on the train, but what if they’re out with friends? That presents a special opportunity, because one good offer (example: cheap appetizers after 10:00pm at a chain restaurant) transmitted to the group multiplies its reach and offers a bigger payout. Not only for the friends that are together, but for anyone else in earshot as well. Done right, you get highly effective mechanism for word of mouth advertising.

Padpaw, Inc. is pleased to announce our Beta API for adding group text messaging to your web site or social network.The API is perfect for social networking sites that want to quickly add text messaging capabilities to their services without the long implementation of getting a short code, working with an aggregator, or getting a campaign approved.

Text messaging to groups can be challenging. While it’s straight forward to send a single message to an individual from your web site, managing group communications are more complex. Padpaw is offering this capability which has been developed and tested with real live groups.

The text messaging service consists of a REST API to Padpaw’s messaging server which allows for a quick integration. Individuals and companies wishing to use the API will need to register with Padpaw to obtain an API key. You can find out more information, including documentation at our web site: http://padpaw.net/api

Future API releases will incorporate other Padpaw features such as event RSVP, sign-ups, and polls.

The service is in Beta and we’re looking forward to you trying it and giving us your feedback. During our limited Beta program, you can use the messaging system to up to 200 messages. Pricing for our production version of the service will be announced later.

Features

• Built for group messaging, both for one way messages (announcements and alerts) and group interaction
• Padpaw handles double opt-in/opt out process required by the carriers
• Approved on all US carriers

Advantages

• They’re your members not ours. We don’t market to them or try to sell them other services
• Easy to use by your member. Service is keyed on group name and not keyword. This means you’re members can use common sense commands like “join” “post” etc..

Padpaw, if you haven’t figured it out already, is all about groups. As such, we spend a lot of time working with them to understand what they need, and how they operate. While I’m not an anthropologist, I do see some interesting behavior regarding group motivation and the need to tap it at the right moment. This is especially true when a group get together ad hoc and decides to do something or meet again. What follows are some notes and drawings I’m doing as part of business planning.

The first drawing illustrates what happens when a group of people decide something needs to get done, and then decide to start getting organized. Today, the groups will exchange some contact information, maybe decide on some important things to do, then split up and go home to write emails, schedule meetings, and maybe starting filling in a web site or a wiki. The problem is that we tend to lose motivation between leaving the group, and getting things going. Its not our fault, especially if we’re distracted on our way to the PC - stuck in traffic, you find out you have nothing for dinner and have to go to store, the cat barfed on the new rug, etc..

The second drawing is the opportunity for mobile services and what Padpaw helps solve. Once the group wants to do something, they work out all the preliminaries right then and there. There’s no waiting, you’re next people are excited, problem solved.

Padpaw’s goal is to tap into this energy.

Gosh - I didn’t realize it’s been that long since I posted something here. A lot has been going on with Padpaw, and I hope to fill you all in the next week.

OK - this is a lame attempt at a play on words, but over the last three years there’s been negative growth in home phone lines - the plug the phone in the wall phone lines. More and more people have been simply using their cell phones as their primary phone. They feel that the phone belongs with them instead of being tied to their homes, and despite voice mail and answering machines, their house or apartment isn’t going to let them know who’s trying to get in touch with them. My Mom will even call my cell phone if she doesn’t get in touch with me at home.

The same goes for messaging and the data it transports (alerts, events, requests for help). If I’m out on Saturday running errands, I’m not going to get your email to the entire baseball team about meeting earlier than planned. Like your home phone, your home PC isn’t going to know where to track you down. Likewise for setting up events or calendar changes. If you’re standing around talking about it, why not lock it in right there instead of forgetting about it in the grocery store looking for milk, bread, and what else was I supposed to get?

Now everyone reading this (all, what, 3 of you using your iPhone are saying “the future is here”. You’re right, but Padpaw is working on helping the other 100 million phone users experience the coolness too.

Producing an opera is a big deal, especially when you’re relying on the talents of local volunteers. Whether that’s singing a lead part, the chorus, or working the lights, costumes, and props, everyone needs to be at the right place and at the right time.

The Illumination Opera Company of Chelmsford Massachusetts is the latest group to use Padpaw. Illumination Opera will be performing Humperdinck’s “Hansel & Gretel” on December 6 & 7, 2008. During the months, weeks, and days leading up to the performance, rehearsal schedules and cast/crew requirements can change at any time. Coordinating everyone is a challenge, and Padpaw is proud to be helping.