Thursday, January 21, 2010

Plan a Fun Family Day, Goby.com/$50 AmEx GC GIVEAWAY!


WHAT IS GOBY?

Goby is a search engine that’s all about exploring new things to do with your free time, from a weekend
adventure to the vacation of a lifetime. Goby can introduce you to exciting new things to do, or help you find
new places to try old favorites. Bottom line: we want to help you have fun.

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IT?

GO-be.

WHY WAS GOBY CREATED?

The simple answer: we had no choice. We’re experience junkies. It’s a compulsion for which we stubbornly
refuse treatment. We’d rather be kayaking or something. So Goby was created to make it as easy as possible
to research and plan everyday adventures and free-time activities. Our main goal is to eliminate the need to
hop around to lots of different websites and wade through information that’s often incomplete, irrelevant or
hard to find. (Also, truth be told, we’re total technology geeks and love to build stuff for the sake of building it.)

WHO WOULD USE GOBY?

Well…everyone. Whether you're looking for the perfect bed & breakfast for a romantic getaway, a new hiking
trail to tackle, a cool museum to visit with the kids, or a live show to check out this weekend, create your next
adventure with Goby! Basically, we’re for anyone who wants to have fun. And since fun means different things
to different people, we include as many activities as we possibly can.

WHERE DOES THE INFORMATION COME FROM?

Goby uses something called “deep Web” technology to search carefully selected databases and other
sources of information that are pre-qualified for relevance. Then Goby organizes your query results in a
meaningful way instead of spitting back a series of web pages that happen to contain your key words. By
using deep Web technology, Goby happily explores an ocean of information and brings you back all the good
stuff you’re looking for – but only the good stuff.

OKAY, NOW GIVE THE TECHNICAL STUFF, I CAN TAKE IT…

You asked for it…Goby supports exploratory search in a way that no traditional search engine can. We create
a rich information model that provides semantic organization and lends structure to unstructured data. We can
search, sort, filter, map, and contextualize heterogeneous web data. (That’s right; we said it – contextualize
heterogeneous web data.) Instead of just giving you a list of Web pages, we convert all those pages into
human-friendly information, so you can see things like locations, phone numbers, photographs from around
the Web, links to nearby points of interest, and so on – pretty much any information that might help you plan
your adventure.

WHO’S BEHIND GOBY?

Goby was co-founded by Mark Watkins and Vince Russo from Endeca and Lycos, respectively, and noted
tech entrepreneur and MIT professor Mike Stonebraker. Want more? Click on their names.
Goby has received venture funding from both Flybridge Venture Capital and Kepha Partners. You can click on
their names, too.

HOW DOES GOBY MAKE MONEY?

Goby is a search engine, albeit an entirely new one, and we make money the way most search engines do.
We sell ad space on the site (see the sidebar stuff on our results pages), and we will always clearly mark it as
such. Also, some sites pay us if you click through to their site and buy something, but of course, there’s no
pressure. Just know that your decisions directly impact whether we drink imported or domestic on Friday
afternoons.

WHO DO I CONTACT ABOUT MARKETING OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY/PARTNERSHIP?

We are totally into working with like-minded folks, and we partner with other brands and websites to recreate
the Goby experience on their sites. Just shoot John Walsh an e-mail at john.walsh@goby.com. He’s in charge
of that kind of stuff.

I’M A JOURNALIST AND WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOBY OR INTERVIEW SOMEONE ON THE
MANAGEMENT TEAM.


We’d love that. Please send an e-mail to pr@goby.com or call David Cumpston at (415) 277-4917 and we’ll
take care of you right away.

HOW DID GOBY GET STARTED?

Did you ever have the experience of being somewhere away from home and finding out too late about some
cool thing you missed while you were there? OMG, us too. Once, Mark was in Hawaii and missed a Jack
Johnson show just down the street from where he was staying. Jack Johnson in Hawaii! $%&@#! He nearly
tore an ACL kicking himself. Turns out Vince and Mike had had similar experiences, and that’s why they
decided to invent Goby. We were frustrated with the inability to easily find this kind of targeted information and
thought we could do something better. Necessity was the sweet, nurturing mother of invention.

CAN I WORK AT GOBY?

Geez, way to put us on the spot. Let’s see…do you have an odd sense of humor? Are you wicked smaht?
(OK, we’re from Boston and not above a cheap laugh.) Can you imagine a job you don’t think of as a job,
even when you’re working way too many hours? Will you help us stress test a new business model we’re
developing in which new employees pay us? We’re kidding about that last line.
Send an e-mail to hr@goby.com and we’ll consider it.

CAN I SHARE MY GOBY RESULTS WITH FRIENDS OR POST TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE?

Glad you asked. Not yet, but we’re working on it!

WHY DON’T YOU HAVE ANY RESULTS FROM SITE XYZ?

Good question. That probably means Ed’s been slacking off. We do have a process for qualifying and
introducing high-quality sites. Drop us a note at content@goby.com and we’ll take a look. If it’s not a site
we’ve already found and we end up using it, we’ll drop you a Goby t-shirt and Ed will autograph it!
(Apparently, he has all sorts of time for t-shirt signing.)

***

A perfect tool for busy moms, Goby.com (pronounced GO-be) is a new one-of-a-kind search engine that helps you find fun new ways to spend your free time. It searches more than 300 different categories of “things to do” from zoos and aquariums to playgrounds and children’s museums.  Goby poses three questions: What, Where and When.  By answering just two of the three questions, you can instantly receive an easy-to-read results page that includes not only detailed information about attractions, activities, locations and events, but also an interactive map and photos from sites like Google and Flickr.  Check out Goby.com today and be inspired by the myriad of things you can do!

-Courtesy of Goby.com
 
***
 
Goby.com would like to offer my readers a $50 American Express Card to plan a day with the family!

To Enter:
  • Visit Goby.com. Search for a perfect adventure!  To enter to win, leave a comment on this blog post with, “What type of adventure are you looking for and what did you find?”

Extra Entries:
  • Tweet about the contest with a link to the giveaway (leave the direct link to your tweet in a separate comment) Daily Tweet OK
  • Follow Goby and/or 512 Kidz on Twitter (leave your twitter name and who your following, 2 comments if you follow both)
  • Blog about the contest with a link to the giveaway (leave your blog link in a separate comment)
  • Follow my blog and/or subscribe via rss/reader (both on sidebar, leave a separate comment for each) Must Follow Publicly!
When the contest is over, the gift card will be shipped directly to the winner by the sponsor.

This giveaway ends at 11:59 pm CST on 1/28/10!


 







100 comments:

Peter Schott said...

First - this looks like it could be really useful. I'm bookmarking and sending a copy to my wife.

In regards to the contest, I'm seeing if I can find science-related activities around DFW. I found out that the Dallas Science Museum is hosting an exhibit called the Science of Spying. That would be perfect for my 1st grader who is now into mysteries and science. :)

Thanks - looks like this is a keeper. I hope that you have a lot of success.

paschott [at] gmail [dot] com

Peter Schott said...

re-post - following "therealgoby" on twitter - @paschott

Aimee said...

I typed in water parks & found 12in the city closest to where I live. Thanks for the great giveaway!

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Aimee said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/8062124815

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Aimee said...

following The Real Goby on twitte @pixie13sweeps

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Aimee said...

following 512 Kidz on twitter @pixie13sweeps

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Aimee said...

Google Friend Connect follower

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

sheena@sophistishe.com said...

We're looking for museums in Chicago. Think we're going to check out the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry.

sheena at sophistishe.com

Mami2jcn said...

Cool site! I searched for family and kids events in my area and found a car show and music festival happening this weekend.

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Mami2jcn said...

I follow Goby on Twitter @mami2jcn.

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Mami2jcn said...

I follow 512 Kidz on Twitter @mami2jcn.

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Mami2jcn said...

I'm following your blog.

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Mami2jcn said...

I blogged:

http://grandgiveaways.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/goby-com/

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Mami2jcn said...

tweet:

http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/8080315642

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Ames said...

How cool is this!?!? I'm looking to find a nice relaxing spa day not too far from home :)

Birdson said...

I visited Goby - looking for waterparks in No. Calif. I found a great on called Outrageous Waters in Clearlake ...it gave me all the info I needed ...we'll be going there this summer thx birdson@roadrunner.com

Birdson said...

I follow U on GFC birdson@roadrunner.com

Mary512 said...

manual entry for lauren51990

i looked for author events and i found one for author heather brewer.
-lauren
lauren51990 at aol dot com

Mary512 said...

manual entry for lauren51990

I follow you on twitter: @shootingstarmag

lauren51990 at aol dot com

Mary512 said...

manual entry for lauren51990

I follow goby in twitter: @shootingstarmag

lauren51990 at aol dot com

Henrietta said...

WOw I really like that search engine! I was surprised to find 30 zoo and aquarium themed family fun in the great lakes region of PA where we live. There are some on there that I've never heard of and would make great mini vacays! Thanks!

hensnest at windstream dot net

Aimee said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/8118449803

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Mami2jcn said...

daily tweet:

http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/8122656787

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

dctm said...

this is great! I found out the circus is coming to my town

Christie C.
dctm at bellsouth dot net

Emily N. said...

looking for a B&B and found The Villa ~ Inn ~ Restaurant & Spa in Indy.

Bebemiqui said...

What a great tool! I looked for swimming in the Denver area in the next 7 days...and found a lot of hotel pools. We fly often, so this could come in handy!
bebemiqui82(at)yahoo(dot)com

jmasuk said...

i search fior family fun and games. my serach didnt come up with any results. i live in a small town so i was not surprised. i live in northern ny (norwood). i wish the site could be expanded to include the small towns like mine. it is a great idea to have a central location where individuals and families can go to find fun activities in their area.

Sarah G said...

I typed in "Asian restaurants" and searched in my town - Goby came up with 250 results! I had no clue there were so many Chinese restaurants surrounding me. :p

hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Sarah G said...

I'm following Goby on Twitter - my twitter name is hawaiismn.

hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Sarah G said...

I'm following 512 Kidz on Twitter - my twitter name is hawaiismn.

hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Sarah G said...

I'm a blog follower.

hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Sarah G said...

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/hawaiismn/status/8154537171

hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Mami2jcn said...

daily tweet:

http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/8154564624

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Aimee said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/8160287786

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Nelsby said...

I was looking for places to stay in the Florida Keys...specifically in Key West. I found 27 different hotels and vacation homes!
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Nelsby said...

I am following you on Twitter (username Nelsby).
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Nelsby said...

I am following Goby on Twitter (username Nelsby).
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Nelsby said...

I am following your blog (username Nelsby).
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Nelsby said...

I subscribe to your blog's RSS feed on Google Reader.
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Nelsby said...

* Tweet *
http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/8170814498
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Melissa said...

I looked for Comedy Events in NYC

xmeliss182x (at) yahoo (dot) com

Sarah G said...

Daily Tweet: http://twitter.com/hawaiismn/status/8191010960

hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Mami2jcn said...

daily tweet:

http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/8198979482

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Aimee said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/8203250706

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Nelsby said...

Daily Tweet:
http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/8216415071
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

JC said...

This site is way too cool! I searched for coffee and cafes for my next month to SF and got plenty of info! Fabulous!

JC said...

http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/8227856722

JC said...

Follow Goby and/or 512 Kidz on Twitter@tcarolinep
1

JC said...

Follow Goby and/or 512 Kidz on Twitter@tcarolinep
2

JC said...

Blog follower

JC said...

I'm a subscriber.

JC said...

blogged. http://tcarolinep.blogspot.com/2010/01/giveaway-512-kidz.html

Mami2jcn said...

daily tweet:

http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/8240633653

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Aimee said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/8244785675

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Nelsby said...

Daily Tweet:
http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/8260611029
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Roxy said...

i searched for italian restaurants and found more than I coudl try in a year!

hockiemack at hotmail.com

Roxy said...

tweeted!

http://twitter.com/hockiemack/statuses/8265349164

hockiemack at hotmail.com

Dee N said...

I searched for dance classes and found 91 within 20 miles and 9 local. More than I knew of. Great tool!


deeandco3 at gmail dot com

Dee N said...

Follow @goby on twitter


@atweetmom

Dee N said...

Follow @512kidz on twitter


@atweetmom

Dee N said...

I subscribe via google




deeandco3 at gmail dot com

Mami2jcn said...

daily tweet:

http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/8285332514

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Aimee said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/8288151849

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Unknown said...

I searched for museum, boston, weekend and got over 250 hits! I was only familiar with a handful of places that popped up. What a great utility!

Tuesday Girl said...

Fun! I searched for Peruvian and middle eastern restaurants in Boston & finally found some!

Blessed Wife and Mommy said...

I searched for hiking near Fort Collins, CO (where my family lives) and found a lot of great trails including a flowers trail.

webbedfeet_14@hotmail.com

Blessed Wife and Mommy said...

I follow your blog

webbedfeet_14@hotmail.com

Nelsby said...

Daily Tweet:
http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/8302584018
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Hippie4ever said...

A hike in southeastern coast of Oregon and I found a 2 mile hike to a secluded beach: Cape Lookout beach in Sandlake Oregon
silenttributary(at)yahoo(dot)com

Sarah G said...

Daily Tweet: http://twitter.com/hawaiismn/status/8319174482

hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Mami2jcn said...

daily tweet:

http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/8324580700

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Aimee said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/8333798924

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Julie said...

I think Goby is a very informative website

Bed and Breakfast
found in Rock Harbor Lodge in Michiga

aunteegem@yahoo.com

Julie said...

feed subscriber through Google Reader

aunteegem@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I found out there is a cave exploring group in West Michigan! I was just checking if there were any caves around here. didn't find the caves but found the group.

phxbne said...

looked for a cool breakfast restaurant near where I live - and found lots!
http://www.goby.com/breakfast-restaurants--near--phoenix-az

phxbne said...

Follow Goby on Twitter @phxbne

phxbne said...

Follow you on Twitter @phxbne

phxbne said...

Follow you

Sky said...

What a great site! I'm going to use it for my New York trip next summer.

I started my search in Omaha, something artsy...and found the Disney on Ice: 100 years of Magic. I think both of my kids would LOVE this!

Thanks for sharing this fab site!

seeryusfam@msn.com

Sky said...

Tweet!

http://twitter.com/SeeryusMama/status/8339683922

seeryusfam@msn.com

Sky said...

Following Goby and 512Kidz on Twitter.

@SeeryusMama

seeryusfam@msn.com

1

Sky said...

Following Goby and 512Kidz on Twitter.

@SeeryusMama

seeryusfam@msn.com

2

Sky said...

Publicly following your blog.

seeryusfam@msn.com

Wanda said...

I entered winery tours in Sonoma, CA. Got 148 results for "wineries" and 22 for "food & drink tours." I'd definitely be able to work with that! It's like Goby does all your search engine work and offers you a professional presentation of the search results. I like it!
wandapanda at live dot com

Wanda said...

Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/TantaDesChiens/status/8340816786
wandapanda at live dot com

Wanda said...

Following therealgoby on Twitter as TantaDesChiens.
wandapanda at live dot com

Wanda said...

Following 512kidz on Twitter as TantaDesChiens.
wandapanda at live dot com

Molomatic said...

I was looking for a children's museum in our area and one of the ones they suggested I'd never heard of! It's a great find - my daughter loves trains and it's a railroad museum. Fun!

Molomatic said...

I'm following you on Twitter @ molomatic

Thanks!

Molomatic said...

I'm following Goby on Twitter @ molomatic

Thanks!

Molomatic said...

I'm also following your blog.

Wanda said...

Following publicly in blogger as Wanda (#107)
wandapanda at live dot com

Wanda said...

RSS subscriber in Google Reader.
wandapanda at live dot com

Anne said...

I searched for family fun in syracuse ny. It recomended the Science and Technology Museum, and the Harlem Globetrotters 2010 World Tour, which is coming to town next week.

ajolly1456 at gmail dot com

Anne said...

I tweeted
http://twitter.com/lunaj1456/status/8341215616

ajolly1456 at gmail dot com

Anne said...

I follow goby on twitter, lunaj1456

ajolly1456 at gmail dot com

Anne said...

I follow 512 kidz on twitter, lunaj1456

Anne said...

I follow on google friend connect

ajolly1456 at gmail dot com

Nelsby said...

Daily Tweet:
http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/8352798994
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

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