|
| Search Microsoft.com for: |
|
| Search Microsoft.com for: |
Start an e-mail network to help family and friendsThe Riaz Network has grown from a small e-mail group to an online gathering of 460 peoplePublished: June 30, 2004
 Will an e-mail message ever feel quite as intimate as a hand-penned letter? You might not think so, but it could be the thread that holds friends and families together. And those e-mails can even transform the cold world of Internet cables and keyboards into a true global village. Take the Riaz Network. In 1997, Riaz Aziz was recently out of college and starting to hit the work force. He had just started a job and found that many of his friends were also embarking on a career. He started receiving e-mails from these friends who were looking for jobs. "A couple of my friends and I were working for big business firms, so they sent me their resume," he explains. "Then if I knew a friend working at a bank or a life insurance company, I'd send their resume over there. That's how it actually started. I was just trying to help my friends out and it worked." At first the e-mail exchange between Aziz and friends was pretty sporadic. Once a month, a message would be forwarded to the small group of friends about somebody needing a job or a place to live. People would respond and tell other friends about the postings. Then it snowballed—what started out as a cozy little group of 20 e-mail buddies quickly ballooned to 460 people. Now Aziz gets requests daily—they range from selling off furniture to finding a job or contacts in foreign countries. There have even been a few romantic inquiries about meeting certain people on the distribution list.
He first realized how successful his e-mail community had become about two years ago, when his friend Mykella Van Cooten requested some help before moving to San Francisco. She wanted to get rid of some furniture before the big move and within 24 hours after posting the message with Aziz, the first sale had been made. She sent an e-mail message to the whole distribution list with a thank you saying: "Wow, this Riaz Network works better than eBay." The name caught on and Aziz knew his project was working. Aziz has a dedicated system for filtering the e-mail he receives every day. The messages are sectioned off and only sent to the people they could help or affect. For example, a request for finding an apartment in Toronto wouldn't be mailed to people in other countries. The Riaz Network is not a small task for Aziz, and as it continues to grow it demands more of his time. Sometimes he stays late at work to get the newsletter ready. "I have to remind those anxious to get their requests posted that I do have a day job," he jokes. Many people have come to rely on this communication frenzy. Lily Bogues first used the service last summer. "I had a "sealer" for sale, a kitchen gadget that seals foods. I sold it within 48 hours," she says. "It's nice to know that the Network is always there—whenever I need to use it." Aziz estimates about 70 percent of the requests are successful. "I think the principle works on six degrees—somebody always knows somebody who knows someone who can help you or be a contact for you," he explains. It's a simple plan, but it actually works and has woven complex connections all over the globe. But it's about more than communicating. Aziz's caring personality has infected all those on the distribution list. It has inspired total strangers to offer assistance whenever they can, which reflects well on the Network's creator. "Riaz puts himself out there for others and tries to help the best way he can," says Bogues. Article written by Stephanie McGrath and adapted from an original piece from Microsoft Home Magazine. 
|
