2oceansvibe News | South African and international news

Sponsored by RSAWeb rss
2ov Radio
  • Home
  • About
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Seth Rotherham
  • du Cap Collection
  • Café du Cap
  • Cabine du Cap
  • Media Packs / Advertising
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Anonymous Tips
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
Seth Rotherham
  • WhatsApp – Great For Friends, Terrible For Neighbours

    10 Jun 2016 by Seth Rotherham in Business, Partners, Tech/Sci
    Related Posts
    • That App That Turned Everyone Into Sexy Avatars Has Landed In Major Hot Water
    • Woman Details Date With A Serial Killer In Viral TikTok Videos
    • Escaped Inmate Running Around Handcuffed In Orange Jumpsuit - TikTok All Over It [Videos]
    • Making Sense Of That Viral Video Of An Armed Security Guard Fleeing The Scene
    • A Few Things You Should Know About That App Turning Everyone's Selfies Into Art Pieces

    It seems the only people sending text messages these days are banks and the TV license department. With WhatsApp completely dominating SA, it seems the digital messaging darling does have its limitations.

    Following a recent funding round, OurHood – the private digital home for neighbourhoods in South Africa – is about to unveil a whole set of new features, including some that capitalise on those WhatsApp weaknesses.

    Hilton Conway, a neighbour using OurHood in Camps Bay says, “The problem we were finding with WhatsApp is it’s invasive and people are terrified of sharing their cellphone numbers. We started a group to discuss crime, but after a month we had neighbours discussing everything from lost parrots to running clubs. In the end you turn off all notifications or leave the group entirely.”

    Just like WhatsApp, OurHood’s new Groups section – launching in coming weeks – will allow groups of users to speak to each other via a real-time, instant-push chat screen. These groups can either be Private Groups or Open Groups – ranging from running clubs and street captain patrols, to mums and tots groups and supper clubs.

    groups2

    Says OurHood’s Head of Product, Luca Stefanutti, “a lot of communities are exasperated with the inefficiencies of WhatsApp when it comes to neighbourhood communications. With OurHood they are able to choose which notifications they want to receive, they don’t have to give away their phone number, and there is no limit to the amount of people who can join. What’s more, all users are verified, so users know they’re speaking to their real neighbours. There are no trolls and no spam.”

    And whilst the protection of knowing that there are no trolls on the platform (all neighbour addresses are verified), not all users want to give away their cellphone number, which is a requirement of WhatsApp.

    As it stands, OurHood provides a digital notice board for users to post to their real neighbours. This could be anything from a crime to issue or general neighbourhood question, to nanny sharing requests and lost pet notices. But the highly anticipated ‘groups’ development is about to be rolled out.

    The upcoming OurHood groups feature will also allow users in Private Groups to hide the group, so that it doesn’t show up in the list of available hoods for people to join. This is a particularly fun feature, as it means that tight-knit neighbours – say groupings of two to three homes, can enjoy their usual conversations in private.

    Signup for OurHood or download the app at www.ourhood.co.za

    • ← You’ve Heard About The R140 Billion City We’re About To Build 25km From Cape Town, Right? [Video+Images]
    • UPDATE:Penny Sparrow’s Day In Court Doesn’t Go According To Plan – Ruling Handed Down →
    • Tweet
    • Tags:
    • app
    • community
    • Crime
    • neighbourhoods
    • OurHood
    • tech

    Latest News

    • Death Goes Vegan – Human Composting, A Green Alternative?

      Nobody wants to think about death on a Monday morning (depending on how hard you partied o...

    • Glider Pilot ‘Lands’ On Mountain Slope

      [imagesource:needpix] We have to admit that it's not often you hear of a pilot landing ...

    • Woolies Klaps Back, But Have They Read This Report?

      [imagesource:woolworths] It was only last week that South Africans had a confused chuck...

    • A Zoo Is Allowing You To Name A Cockroach After An Ex And Feed It To An Animal This Valentine’s Day

      [imagesource: San Antonio Zoo] Whether it's sweet revenge, a wish that your ex will qui...

    • You Gotta Love The Dutch – Fascinating Timelapse Of A 7 000-Bicycle Underwater Parking Garage Being Built [Video]

      [imagesource:needpix&dutchcyclingacademy.com] The Dutch have never been afraid of a...


    • 2oceansvibe Partners

    • CONTACT US
    • GOT A HOT STORY?
    • 2oceansvibe Radio
    • 2oceansvibe Media
    • Media Pack
    • Seth Rotherham
    • Café du Cap
    • Cabine du Cap
    • Cape Town City Accommodation
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Business
    • Media
    • Entertainment
    • Tech/Sci
    • World
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Sport
    • Politics
  • Follow

    2oceansvibe.com is part of the 2oceansVibe Media Group

    DMMA Logo