Shall we stop learning for a bit and focus instead on getting social?

There is a wonderful network called Meetup.com where you can join in with others who are involved in activities that interest you. Depending on where you live, you can find groups that share common interest such as politics, dating, books, hiking, movies, pets, careers, etc. The image to the right is a list of categories for you to choose from.

The image below shows where you enter your zip code or city and your topic of choice and to find a nearby group. Not sure what you want? Just enter your zip code and have a gander at what appears. You will be amazed!

Can’t find a group near you? Sign up to become an Organizer and start one yourself. You’re sure to meet people who share your passion.  Starting your own group will cost you (the Organizer) $12 per month.

For instance, I started a book group using Meetup. Once we reached seven members we decided to close the Meetup account and carry one using email as our main contact tool. Meetup brought us together and served it’s purpose. We have been going strong for two years now!

Meetup.com is international.

You can find groups in Auckland, New Zealand or Auckland Park, England, UK

Dublin, Ireland or or Dublin Virginia USA

Zurich Switzerland or Zurich Ontario, Canada

Meetup is the perfect way to connect – in person. Find out where the group meets then show up. Simple. Done.

According to Wikipedia:

The attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001, was pivotal to the formation of this social network. Meetup co-founder Scott Heiferman publicly stated that the manner in which people in New York came together in the aftermath of that traumatic event inspired him to use the Internet to make it easier for people to connect with strangers in their community. Meetup, Inc. is based in New York City.

Until tomorrow … Enjoy!

Related articles

• Meetup HQ Blog (meetupblog.meetup.com)
• How to run a Meetup (www.howtorunameetup.com)
• A message from Meetup HQ about Hurricane Sandy (meetupblog.meetup.com)
• New Feature: Meetup feedback just got even more interesting (meetupblog.meetup.com)
• Zemanta Presenting at New York Tech Meetup on May 5th (zemanta.com)
• More Free Learning at Coursera (margekatherine.com)
• Ongoing Education with iTunes (margekatherine.com)
• TED Talks (margekatherine.com)