Wondering if/how the benefits of offering email addresses are measurable?

Sterling

Geo names are unique in that there isn’t much more relevant to a person then where they live. As such, there is hardly a more perfect interplay between user and @domain freemail than when offered on a relevant geo.

Local people will get them, other people will see them, then those other people will want them, in turn and in turn. It’s one of many available sparks that can assist with generating critical mass.

The status-quo geo.com model- as it stands right now- tends to be city-guide centric and very “outside in”, in that it’s predominantly marketing to people who are looking into an area, rather than those who already live there. This is largely because of ‘who pays the bills’ in the way of advertisers.

@geo freemail addresses the inside-out component, which, in my opinion, has been thus far neglected in terms of development.

This user-experience vacuum is creating interesting opportunities, particularly in the way of geo.orgs, where the orgy, community, flesh-pressing dynamic can be neatly captured and marketed to smaller, local advertisers- particularly if the .com is a low/no content PPC garbage farm.

Anyway, rambling now.
I think @geo freemail is great. Yes, it’s “something to deal with” as the admin, but it’s one of the more forward and useful things you can offer your users and the drawbacks don’t seem to outweigh the prospective pros.

Just one guys opinion.