The Return of Upcoming.org by Andy Baio

I really appreciate this: TBL says cool URIs don't change! https://www.dropbox.com/s/2l158c8adnba9nw/Screenshot%202014-... [screenshot]

It's been 10 years since Upcoming was created, and the site is dead right now, so, obviously one answer is "nothing". However, let's timewarp to 2004-2007 or so.

Upcoming created the model for an events site tied to a social network, and since it was first, you could find almost any kind of event from a personal party to a stadium rock concert there.

Upcoming had very broad capabilities for tagging, geotagging, searching, following, and being notified about public events. It really shone for aficionados of particular music scenes in geographic areas, and for people who liked going to tech conferences. And knowing the events your friends are going to - or even thinking about going to - also helped catalyze attendance.

Lots of other products found niches that had special needs (for instance, Lanyrd or EventBrite), and Facebook completely owns casual events like barbecues and stuff. But nobody's done an events site that had quite the same mix of community and capability. Most of the sites who wanted to grab the Upcoming-esque market were focused on monetizing through profiling users, and then selling ads, or special offers for tickets. Seems like it should work, but it doesn't seem to have panned out. (Also, I know this may shock people, but Ticketmaster is really difficult to work with.)

However, it's not the tech capabilities that people really miss, it's the community. And probably most people are betting on Andy Baio. He is a well-trusted person who is a passionate fan of independent art and culture, and has a history of creating wonderful communities - like Upcoming, KickStarter, and XOXO.

  > Nobody asked for an argument, and by downvoting any
  > argument on my part was prevented.

I feel like we're all being trolled, but how is your failure to present a cogent argument in your initial comment affected by downvotes that occur at a later time? You did the online equivalent to walking up to someone and saying to their face that they are dishonest and immoral, without any rationale for such an offensive position. In real life, you'd be punched in the face or, at the very least, escorted off their property. Is the fact that you're being downvoted really that surprising to you?

What you write is being held to a higher standard than what you are accustomed to. You can choose to use this as an opportunity to grow and improve your writing and better present your thoughts or you can choose to complain at how unfair it is. In your Redis comment[0] you talk about having manners and respect for other people's work. Perhaps you can hold yourself to this same standard.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7349654

> You may disagree with my reasoning

You haven't presented any reasoning to disagree with, even when it was specifically asked for.

I remember Upcoming.org from 2003, back then it was a problem needing a solution but within a few years it was already pointless like plancast or the variety of other event listings and invitation systems.

There are events your friends want you to show up. Whether that message is sent via Facebook, email, text, paper, or face to face is irrelevant. If you are wanted there, you will be there.

There are events you want friends of friends to show up. Facebook facilities this quite well, and if you don't have a Facebook account to do so but they still want you there, well, you'll likely be there.

Then there are events you want strangers to show up. Facebook serves this quite well. If the events require a ticket, Eventbrite's got that covered. If it's a business event then your Gcal or Outlook has it covered.

In this landscape, where does upcoming.org, where does an anti-Facebook solution stand? And is it enough to cover payroll?

Because snobbishness aside--I don't own a TV because TV atrophies your brain when I can create art because I'm artist--this... really isn't a problem anymore.