The Common: Helping Each Other 2.0 Style

A new upswing in Web 2.0 applications are what I think of as “helping hand” sites. These are sites that bring people together to do projects or help each other. Whether you need to find a contractor in a new city, hire a personal shopper or get some help with charity work, these helper sites can get the job done.

One new helping hand site is The Common . The common brings together people with common goals who have complimentary abilities. The example they use on their front page is that of someone who needs help learning about preparing dinner, paired with someone they don't know who is a chef with spare time. By meeting through The Common, two people who may not know each other but who can help each other can connect an get projects done and needs met.

The Common works by creating or finding communities, then becoming a member in that community. Once you are a community member, you can contribute to your community, or use the contributions of others. It isn't quite as simple as signing up online, however.

The Common adds a unique personal element to their sign up process. The site gives your a chance to put your name in a hat as being interested in joining a community (or you can set up your own community). Once your name is in the hat, you'll be sent a notification of your community's physical “sign up day”. That's right, in order to make sure that The Common is filled with real people helping real people, the communities want to meet you in person.

They will take a photo of you and get some information when you meet – no hiding behind internet anonymity at this site. Considering the heightened awareness of identity theft and personal safety online, a meeting to make sure everyone involved in a real person with a real skill or a real need makes sense. Once the meet, greet and identity verification is over your community leader will officially set each member up with a user name and password, which they then email to you to let you know your membership is active and the vetting process is over.

One you are accepted into your community, or have started your own and begun taking on members, you can always add new abilities and needs. There doesn't seem to be any limit to adding either one. As people come on board each community who can fill each other needs, they are matched up on their respective dashboards. Once two members make a connection, the community leader(s) will need to sign off on the connection to turn it into an official project, keeping an element of human involvement to prevent fraud or problems.

The interface is fairly standard Web 2.0, right down to the colors. It has a fairly quick learning curve over all, which can clash with the requirement for human interaction. I think the human element of this helping hand site gives it an edge over other, more impersonal Web 2.0 applications. That said, I also see it possibly losing ground with the Web 2.0 contingent who is looking for quick connection and instant gratification. It will be interesting to follow this one and see how far it goes in this age of distance in personal interaction.