Pifworld: an Engaging Graphical Donating Platform

On: April 25, 2009

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About Pieter-Paul Walraven
Besides enjoying my MA New Media and doing research on Web 2.0 developments in China at the UvA I am working 2 days a week as a project assistant at KREM (www.KREM.nl). KREM is a web 2.0 oriented company which specializes in so called corporate social networks. Movies: Koyaanisqatsi, O Brother where art thou?, Amores Perros. When not studying: Golf!, running, traveling, China, Web 2.0. Books: Life of Pi, War and Peace, The World is Flat. Furthermore I am currently doing research on Web 2.0 in China and Chinese Web companies expanding overseas. For this MA thesis research I will travel to China on the 14th of April to interview the most prominent Chinese Web companies that have the ambition to expand internationally.

Website
http://pietchinathesis.wordpress.com/

A friend of mine informed me about an interesting service that was recently launched: Pifworld. It is basically a Google Earth/SNS – mash-up that facilitates global crowd funding. It allows individuals and communities to support specific projects in a fun and graphical environment. Together with friends and their friends, they can take action and realize projects around the world. Visitors can build a school, help an entrepreneur to a starting capital or realize a wildlife park together.

How does it work?
The prominent globe combines a game element with the facilities of Google Earth: hopping from one continent to another to see what’s going on over there. Visitors can browse the interactive 3D globe to find projects they really care about. Once visitors have chosen a project to support, they can be kept up-to-date on the progress by videos and blogs. Through invites and widgets, supporters can engage their friends, school, sports team or company to gather more support. Applying the power of social networking to crowd funding.

Background of Pifworld
Pifworld was created by the Play it Forward and launched in March 2009. Harmen van Doorn, a former investment banker, came up with the idea one year earlier and gathered key professional and creative people around him. At the moment 14 enthusiastic people are working at Pifworld and there are already more than 40 projects online.