Facebook is by far one of THE MOST popular social networking sites in college. Syracuse University is no exception. I am on my Facebook page multiple times a day and every time I log on, there are new posts to look at. That can be both a blessing and a curse to companies such as the one I am trying to promote in my entrepreneurial project. Just a quick recap: my project (Transport Orange) is a website designed to enable students to find easier transportation with other students to and from the city of Syracuse, especially for vacations and school breaks. Social media would be a huge help in this endeavor, but there is also the major issue of privacy that everyone has to deal with.
As with most companies, Transport Orange would have a Facebook page (and possibly a Twitter page) with which people can (hopefully) like and join on. Its most obvious use would be to provide updates on available/needed transportation directly from the website itself. However, I think it would also be helpful to include updates on the weather and driving condition of nearby cities, especially when warnings for bad storms or blizzards (which, as we all know, are only too frequent in Syracuse). It could also provide news of deals for plane tickets, taxi services, or train fare for those who don't have a car. Perhaps even chances to win gas cards or gas stations along the way and their prices. Having an FB page would certainly help broaden the horizons of Transport Orange and hopefully increase its use and popularity among the students.
One can never have the good without the bad. While obviously a Facebook page would greatly help the website, privacy is always a major issue to consider. Many people may not like the idea of having their car and location information posted all over Facebook, or even the Transport Orange website. That is why Transport Orange would definitely be a secure website, with the proper programs (i.e. firewalls, secure browsing) in place to ensure the privacy of the users. Also, each user would have to agree to privacy terms before logging on to the site, for the sake of everyone involved. Some people would be okay with those standards; others would not. Paranoia is not necessarily something to scoff at when it comes to the internet. Therefore, I would hopefully be able to implement some secure, private chat rooms or messaging pages in which students interested in each others offers can meet and chat and figure details out between themselves. A lot of how much goes on to the site will be up to each student individually. They will not be forced to put up any more personal information than they desire. With any luck and a lot of precautions, Transport Orange would be a safe, easily accessible website that students will feel comfortable using.
Obviously there are going to be issues over pricey with any idea like yours. Mostly because you are sharing personal information about where you are coming from and going to, or even you history of where you have travelled in the past. There is the obvious danger of not really knowing the person you are traveling with. I think that your proposed use of the privacy features on Facebook could really benefit your target audience, making them feel like the whole process is a bit more secure and that they aren't giving away too much personal information, or that the website isn't sharing their information.
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