

Tell HN: Rapportive makes using Craigslist better - brandnewlow

Rapportive is a nifty little gmail add-on that pulls in a photo, brief bio, and latest tweets for anyone who e-mails you.  I read about it here on HN, installed it, and checking it when I get a new e-mail has become a part of my routine.  Excellent stuff.<p>Today I just posted up an add on Craigslist looking for a new roommate.  Usually this is pretty hit or miss.  You get e-mails from random people asking to come over to your place to see the apartment etc.  It's a real hassle.<p>I just received my first response a few minutes ago, and Rapportive showed me a photo of the person, 3 recent tweets, and a link to her MySpace page.<p>I can't tell you how helpful this is.  Now I know this is the sort of person whose public persona is centered around sweaty nightclub photos and can make a more educated decision on whether or not I'd want her as a roommate.<p>Win.
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rahulvohra
Hey there, thanks for the kind words. Co-founder of Rapportive here. I had
exactly the same experience when renting a room in my house. A facebook or
myspace link told me more than showing people the room, as people tend to be
on best behaviour.

Interestingly, we've had similar stories of folks finding Rapportive useful
when hiring. One VC was hiring an associate and found the tweets more telling
than the CVs.

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amirmc
This is an interesting case but I find it a bit worrying how much emphasis
people can place on tiny bits of information. A few pics taken out of context
or a misguided twitter post that leads to inadvertently missing out on a job
interview seems harsh. I bet the applicant you mentioned never got useful
feedback. What could the VC say?

I appreciate having access to more info but I feel there's also some maturity
required when assessing it.

