In early April, we rolled out a new version of AtmaGo that adds user profiles, improves the navigation and updates the user interface. And since then, activity has been strong! We now have nearly 3,000 active users who are connecting with their neighbors to share vital information. People are using AtmaGo to find water and supplies, post about education and jobs, and report problems from fires and floods, to traffic and crime.
As we rolled out the new design, we flew to Indonesia to meet with our field director, Alfan Rodhi and our new community manager. While in Jakarta, we also met with power users in low-income neighborhoods, and held a gathering in an Internet café in the Kalibata City neighborhood.
At the user gathering, people gave us great feedback about AtmaGo and how it fits in with the Indonesian concept of gotoroyang — or community building. Social media is huge in Indonesia, but AtmaGo provides Indonesians with something different: it’s an antidote to typical “ego media” as one of our power users told us.
During our Indonesia trip we also learned that there’s a lot of interest in AtmaGo in two large cities in East Java: Malang and Lamongan. And we had the chance to hang out with David Khoirul, who has been helping us with design. So, in June we launched in two new cities—Lamongan and Malang—and added David as the AtmaGo community manager for East Java!
We’ve got a lot more in store for the second half of 2015 and we are grateful as always that you are taking the ride with us.
Memiliki Musim panas yang hebat (have a great Summer)!
-David, Alfan, Sergio, Nick and Meena