Nextstop has been acquired by Facebook, Nextstop announced in an open letter on the home page. What this means, the company explained, is that it will be “joining” Facebook, which it says has bought most of its assets.
A recommendations site on what to do and see around the world, consisting of user-generated content, Nextstop will shutter its doors Sept. 1. Until then, current members can continue to use the site, but no new members will be allowed.
The 2-year-old company describes its mission as making it “dramatically easier to discover great things to do anywhere in the world.” The decision to team up with Facebook, Nextstop said in its letter, will further this end.
“We believe it’s an opportunity for some of the ideas behind Nextstop to reach Facebook’s audience of more than 400 million users and have a much bigger impact on the world than we could on our own,” the company said.
Before Sept. 1, Nextstop members can export their personal contributions to Picasa Web Albums or Google Maps, or download PDF or HTML files of guides they’ve created on the site. And in keeping with the site’s by-the-people-for-the-people sensibility, Nextstop said it will be releasing an exportable database under a Creative Commons license of all the recommendations and places on the site.
“Our aim is [to] make it possible for other products-whether they already exist or are yet to be created-to harness the collective knowledge of the Nextstop community, which includes information on nearly 100,000 recommendations for places around the world,” the letter said.
Nextstop execs made no mention of the figures involved in the deal, but expressed gratitude to the company’s members for their enthusiasm and openness.
“We’ve been amazed and delighted by your enthusiasm for this project,” they wrote, “and it’s strengthened our conviction that information from friends and passionate locals is a much better way to discover the world around you.”