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Social Gasoline
Yes, social gasoline, or rather social media interaction on gasoline prices. Brought to you by Bonus Mobile and GasPriceWatch.com (via textually.org).
GasPriceWatch.com has the cheapest gas locally available, with information on 100,000 gas stations nationwide and thousands of "spotters" who earn points for sending in local gas price info. The all time spotter is "carp" with 7710370 points (10 points for a new price, 50 for a new station, 100 for joining). Currently spotters just have bragging rights, but it's an interesting community of interest model. However the new partnership with Bonus Mobile means that mobile subscribers will get txt messages with information about lowest prices and locations. It means users driving around can instantly get the lowest prices. It's a fee service on cell phones and will be launching shortly.
BTW, just so you know, GasPriceWatch.com says we have the highest priced gas in the country today, at $2.69. Though I can tell you that I paid $2.59 in SF the other day and was the cheapest I saw with a random search on my way from the office to a friend's house across town. However, I'm wondering what this sort of gasoline information hedging will do to the market, and whether station owners or gasoline companies know this is happening or have thought about how they will respond to their users.
Posted by Mary Hodder at 12:02 PM on July 02, 2004