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The year was 2003 and I was in my second year of CS undergrad. I saw a cool utility in AOL instant messenger that recorded the username of every user that looke
by tppiotrowski 5y ago
The year was 2003 and I was in my second year of CS undergrad. I saw a cool utility in AOL instant messenger that recorded the username of every user that looked at your profile. I cloned it and added it to my profile. A few of my dorm mates liked it and asked me to put it in their profile. Even more people came asking and I made a simple website (buddytracker.us) where you could add the utility to your profile. I did no marketing but every profile using buddytracker had a hotmail like link to get your own profile tracker. The first month I had 30 users, the second 500, the third 5000, then 50000. The following year 3 million people had added a profile tracker. It was a life changing experience allowing me to pay off my student loans, travel and take a non-traditional career path. I work on side projects to this day and AOL is where I got my start.
- mattymurph 5y agoThat is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
- fyrefestival 5y ago1. cloned buddy tracker for yourself and friends 2. added a "get your own" link 3. ???? 4. pay off your student loans!!! what was your step 3, the monetization?
- seanp2k2 5y agoThe only buddy I want to remember was Bonzi :) Also, PS1 mod chips and copied games / VCDs were good for selling in school for a couple bucks.
- myself248 5y agoOh jeez. Installing PS1 mod chips for friends and coworkers is what leveled-up my soldering skill. I never accepted money for it, initially did one just for the challenge. Then when word got around work, I had a bunch of well-placed people who owed me favors. Good times, good times.
- vwcx 5y agoEven though I no longer want or need this memory, I will never be able to forget the sound of Bonzi singing Daisy Daisy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XuUyfywhGQ&ab_channel=c1yd3i https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XuUyfywhGQ&ab_channel=c1yd3...
- ravi-delia 5y agoProbably ads on the site no? Only way I can think where views translate to money.
- tppiotrowski 5y agoAt the time there were websites where you answered surveys for a chance to win an iPod. Questions like Burger King or McDonalds? Etc. They paid $0.50 for each user that started a survey and $2.00 for each completed survey.
- driverdan 5y agoWow, that brings me back. I remember buddytracker. It spread like wildfire, all of my college friends used it.