I’ve since been proven wrong, but I really thought it was a big mistake for Facebook to open up their site to everyone, ditching their .edu-only model. That said, it’s no surprise to see startups popping up that follow a similar strategy of exclusivity.
A 10-month-old site in California called Uloop hopes to find success in an original-Facebook-meets-Craigslist mashup. In short, that means they’re opening up Craig-style classifieds, campus-by-campus, and only allowing those with campus .edu e-mail addresses to access each site.
They currently enjoy 15,000 registered users across 12 campuses, primarily on the west coast. The growth plan seems a bit sporadic, but will focus on prominent and larger universities first. On each campus, Uloop employs two students for promotion. Fliers are one of the more successful tactics.
Organization leader Denis (pronounced Dennis) Hiller stopped short of guaranteeing they’d never leave the .edu-only model, but doesn’t see opening things up to everyone in their foreseeable future. Currently, the company lives off its $50 job postings (30 days), but may also move into real estate soon.
Click here to learn more about posting a job. Plus, more blog posts on Uloop.
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