I'm pleased to announce the general availability of Group Text for Meetup.com powered by Padpaw, Inc. <padpaw.net>. Our new service will help you keep your members in the loop on new meetups and last minute changes wherever they are just by using text messages.

Once you've signed up for Padpaw, you can link it to your Meetup group using your Meetup API key. Padpaw will automatically sync your Meetup events allowing you to text RSVP requests to members. Your members can sign up using a text message and if they link their Meetup membership, their RSVP replies will show up on your Meetup group's web page.

Additionally, if you need to get in touch with members and they're away from their email, you can use Padpaw's group text capability to send last minute messages. Members can also find out when the next Meetup is by texting "next" to Padpaw. So no matter where you or your members are, everyone can be kept up to date on important happenings.

Standard rates apply for members receiving messages. As we haven't attached the meter yet, the service is free. When the meter is turned on, Organizers will pay $5 for 100 group message credits. Padpaw works in the United States with the following carriers: Verizon, USCelluar, T-Mobile, Sprint, Nextel, Boost, Alltel, and AT&T

If you'd like to sign up, please go to our website, or our mobile site at <m.padpaw.net>. If you have any questions please contact me here or by email at 'keith.erskine at padpaw dot net' (you can also click on my profile and email that way).

Thanks for the update. I've signed up for the service because it could be very beneficial to my group. Now the real test, lets see if I can get anyone other than myself to signup.

Thanks for signing up Jeff. If you (or anyone else) has a question, post it here or you can send it to "support at padpaw dot net"

- Keith

I think the service would be useful for me if the "next" command send via txt would show the venue for the event that is closest in time, not simply the entire info for the next event

if someone is just 1 min late after event start time, and sends a "next" txt message to see where event is taking place, he/she would get the info for an event that is coming up perhaps next week, not the one the person is attending

also, members need to join a padpaw group over txt message first, before getting access to this service?

Hi Nestor -

We have a buffer built into the next command for just the reason you mentioned - being 'late' but still needing the information.

RE; Joining - yes, your members will need to join the Padpaw group to get the text messages. We need them to specifically opt-in to receive messages which is a big requirement of the cell phone carriers.

- Keith

Howdy - two issues have come up while organizers have set up Padpaw groups:

Invitations: Padpaw lets you, the organizer, invite people to join your group if you know members' cell phone numbers. However, members must send back an OK (to 74685) before they become a "full" member and can start getting messages and event information. Until they do, they'll appear as "invited" in the group roster.

Privacy: Some organizers have asked if members' cell phone numbers are visible to other members. Only organizers can see member cell phone numbers. Members logged into Padpaw <m.padpaw.net> will only see member names.

Please post your questions here or send email to support@padpaw,net

I got error messages when I tried to buy credits for my group. I switched from the Macbook to a Windows machine with Explorer but still can't buy the credits.

I like the idea and there have been people who have lost regular email access (layoffs) who would still attend our meetups. They have to call a friend to see where we our going but this would be a nice option if I could get it working.

Thanks.