Samuel Eddy's one-line bio on his Facebook profile reads: ‘Eddy is my name: ‘Exciting' is my nature'. Well, Eddy does seem to make exciting things happen!
He is the brain behind F4 (Face to Face Facebook Friends), which enables friends on Facebook to meet. From 15 people who attended the first meeting, F4 has swelled to over 800 members. F4 members, numbering anywhere from 50 to 150, meet up every Wednesday. Subway (Nungambakkam) has been F4's meeting spot, until last Wednesday, when they met at YMCA, Royapettah.
No elaborate planning preceded the formation of F4. “Numerous Facebook friends whom I had never seen would write on my wall. I thought how great it would be to meet all these people, and F4 was formed,” he says.
The first set of F4 members chose to meet on a Wednesday; and this has become a habit. “A suggestion to shift the meeting to the weekend was resisted by a majority. They contended that their energy levels were high on Wednesday, mid-week.”
Besides widening the circle of friends, F4 opens up business opportunities for members. Agni Sharman, who runs a cab company, has had numerous orders as a result of being active on the F4 circuit. F4 members also watch out for each other, assisting in business activities.
“A member was in the process of making a corporate video for Rs. 3 lakh. We re-negotiated the deal with his client, and persuaded him to raise the fee to Rs. 10 lakh,” says Eddy. “Whenever a member receives a business benefit because of F4, he contributes 10 per cent of the amount to what is called Support Our Friends Trust (SOFT),” says Eddy.
Eddy, who is in the shipping industry, says business advancement is just one of the advantages of being part of F4.
Interestingly, F4 keeps branching off into smaller groups. For instance, a ‘Masala Chai Bookclub' has been formed by the bookworms in the group; they meet at Crossroads bookshop regularly.
Another sub-group is Exclusive Wildlife Outing (EWO), which attracts wildlife enthusiasts. “Inspired by our group, people in other places are starting local F4s,” says Eddy. “Nick Simmons, a doctor from the U.S. who worked briefly at a local hospital on an exchange programme, attended one of our meetings, went back home, and started an F4 in Boston.”
