Goby presents users with a new way to plan their next day off. Whether the user wants to find a new activity or better way to spend some free time, or is planning their next week long vacation, Goby can help. The site calls itself an “inspiration engine” that is all about exploring things to do with free time. Users can choose from over 350 activity categories, including events, outdoor recreation, family fun, live music, sports, sightseeing, tours, restaurants, golf, yoga, and offbeat attractions.

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Goby was created in July of 2008. Based out of Boston, Massachusetts, the site was originally intended to give users a “things to do” search engine. The creators wanted the activity options to be all encompassing and cover just about any length of free time imaginable. Users could come up with a fun weekend get away, a week long trip, or a day of recreation using Goby suggestions. Themes could even be explored, such as a romantic time for two or activities that are ideal for a family with children. In October 2010, Goby has raised $2.5 million in new funding from investors including Flybridge Capital and Kepha Partners.

There are many travel websites out there and just as many search engine tools. However, Goby has created a specialized search engine that focuses on things to do. The refined search approach makes it easy for users to come up with a great day off or plan a big recreational journey using Goby. The site takes the old fashioned choose your own adventure stories and lets users make them a reality to some degree (at least, in the way there are many options left up to the user).

The Goby website has a well organized layout and a fun color scheme. Using watery blue, accented by a comical gold fish logo with big, round eyes, the site is very welcoming to casual users. There is no clutter and the user can easily locate all the necessary tools to get started on their next adventure.

Visitors that would like to become Goby users can click the gold “Join” button fund just below the large “Sign up to choose your adventure.” header at the right hand side of the homepage. The registration form asks for a full name, email address, password, and zip code. The user can also click the blue button on the bottom of the form to sign up using their existing Facebook account. After completing the form, the user can click the gold “create my account” button at the bottom of the form to complete registration.

Goby offers a fun service, but nothing that can’t already be done through many other free sources. The site creators recognized this and kept Goby at the best price possible: free. All a visitor has to do is create an account and begin using Goby. There are no fees for searching or exploring lists of available activities. Of course, how much the user spends on an activity may vary, but this is not a cost associate directly with the website.

Anyone looking for something new to do with their free time, no matter how long or short that time may be. The site is also ideal for those that are tired of doing the same old things on their days off. Using Goby, anyone can plan an exciting adventure to a place or participating in an activity they never have before.

• Search the site using where, when and what questions
• Connect and login through your existing Facebook account
• Browse over 350 categories of activities
• Get recommendations for new things to try
• Save favorites and organize them into lists that can be shared with others

Visit www.goby.com

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