A new online service allows college students and alumni with Facebook accounts to get or give tickets to campus events across the country.
Virginia Tech graduates David Gentzel and Nathan Jones created the service so that users can also trade tickets to get into desired sections at events.
Jones said tixology is not a Facebook site, but it uses the Facebook API to pull personal data to be used in helping people connect with each other.
“We are trying to build a marketplace free of charge mostly so that tickets will not be wasted,” Jones said.
To ensure the safety of students, the Web site requires users to have a Facebook account.
“We try to encourage a friendlier atmosphere than other online ticket services,” Jones said. “We kind of bring in a social aspect to ticket services.”
The Web site discourages scalping because students do not want to spend $50 on a ticket if they do not have to, Jones said.
Recently, tixology has made several improvements to cater to students’ ticket needs, Jones said. The first release was simply a listing service.
“You could list your unwanted tickets or browse listings for events you want to attend but can’t because they are sold out,” Jones said.
Now, an e-mail notification system has been installed to help users find the tickets they need.
“When someone posts that they have a ticket you want, you will know about it immediately,” Jones said.
Users receive tixology really well, and the site has only brought in positive feedback so far, Jones said.
One of the Web site’s main goals is to help fill seats at sporting events and concerts, Jones said.
“I think that this will definitely help fill seats because tickets for some events are in high demand,” Jones said. “Someone may find out they can’t go to a football game at the last minute and another person may be looking for a ticket to the same game.”
Sophomore agronomy major Josh Williams said tixology is a good thing for students to have access to.
“It will help everyone out, especially around here, because lots of people didn’t buy season tickets and still want to go to some games,” Williams said.
He also said that the Web site will not help determine whether seats are filled or not.
Sophomore mechanical engineering major Michael Kistler said the site is definitely a good idea because it helps out students who want to both give away and get tickets. Tixology definitely will help fill seats at sporting events, Kistler said.
“Last week I couldn’t go to the football game and I couldn’t find anyone to give my ticket to,” Kistler said. “That is just one less seat that would be filled at the game. This Web site definitely has the ability to fill empty seats.”