I Can Lend You That!
Friday, March 13th, 2009
I’m always interested in new services that use digital means to bring people closer in the offline world. I’m not talking about random hookups here, but the idea that our digital presence - something that can travel with us anywhere and be updated at any time - can effect interpersonal relationships is pretty interesting. And, of course, it’s manifested in a multitude of ways, especially of late.
The newest version that I’ve stumbled into is ICanLendYouThat.com. Think of this one as a digital manifestation of your personal lending library - books, CD’s (if you still have them), DVD’s, etc. You sign up for an account, enter a list of what you have to lend, and “follow” your friends to see what’s in their library. The site will connect you based on your needs to the people who have what you’re looking for. Very cool, very simple idea!
I do have a couple of thoughts that might make the site easier to use:
- Integrate with existing networks (Twitter? Facebook?). I don’t want to have to encourage all my friends to sign up for another social network unless it’s uber-simple.
- Partner with someone who will make it easier to update what I have to lend. These guys would be an awesome choice!
- Why limit the offering to books, CD’s, and DVD’s? Other than books, movies and music are almost easier to get online than in person. How about hand tools? Or whatever other random stuff I might have that’s worth borrowing?
A few tweaks could make this a really useful resource!
