Meebo’s team has been growing. In order to house our growing numbers, a few weeks ago we took over part of the 2nd floor of our building (Hi Neoedge! 
. In addition to a few more code-review lounges, meeting rooms, a *lot* more room for desks, and a “zen meditation area”, we also were able to resurrect our four-square court. 4^2 at meebo has long been a part of our company culture, but when space became a premium we reluctantly had to put desks in our beloved 4^2 court.
So it was with an immense amount of pleasure that Renaud and I headed downstairs to an isolated corner of the office, duct and measuring tapes in hand, to mark off our 4^2 court. Immediately, we were filled with an equal amount of displeasure when we realized that the ceiling was quite low … and covered with fire sprinklers. For those of you not acquainted with office fire sprinklers, they usually have a bulb or metal link that, when it breaks, causes a monsoon of somewhat stale water to cover the office. This seal is designed to melt when exposed to heat, but it’s equally vulnerable to a hit from a bouncy rubber ball.
We weren’t about to give up on the idea of 4^2. Engineers, left to their own devices, will do what engineers do best. Innovate . We pondered PVC pipes, chicken wire, even fiberglass enclosures. None of these seemed like elegant solutions (frankly, none of them seemed like intelligent solutions, or even legal). So we scoured the web and came across the fire sprinkler guard. Not wanting to wait for shipping, we looked for a local source.
We were lucky enough to stumble across a company called Statcomm, located about 10 minutes away from the Meebo office in Mountain View, that provides fire protection services. Greg called them up, explained what we needed and they told us to come on by. Stopping by their office and warehouse, it was clear that their main business wasn’t selling fire sprinkler guards to companies eager to play childhood recess games. However, they were nice and friendly enough to take time out of their day to help us out and get us the parts we needed. Thirty minutes later, we were back at meebo eagerly affixing the guards to the sprinklers. We had a little assembly line going; I’d grab fresh guard, open it up, and hand it to Kevin. Kevin, who is 6′5″, was uniquely built to perform the delicate task of actually affixing the guard to the sprinkler. Lastly, Greg walked around actually tightening each screw.
The finished product:
All in all it was a lot of work just to play 4^2, but the first time we got out that rubber ball … it was all worth it.
Vijay
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October 22nd, 2009 at 3:38 pm
That’s awesome!
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Oh man, that four square court was awesome. I was reading the post and I’m like, hm wonder if Vijay is writing this!
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Have fun that’s what I always say. When a company knows how to integrate play within its structure then that company will keep for itself real people. What we did in our office at work was place a small nautilus gym in one of the main office rooms. So people can work out during lunch, break or so forth. Enjoy.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:33 pm
I’m trying to apply the lesson of this story (Statcomm was nice and went out of their way to help you get set up to play 4^2) to meebo, who’s customer service won’t even take the time to give the meebo community an update about the status of the iPhone app we’re all waiting for. Something’s not fitting here.
Hmmmm…..
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
thyat was a great idea well done
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:12 am
i like ur picture ur really lovely in looks is that really u
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:15 am
wea r u from not nz looking at the tyme over hea is 11.14pm
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:34 am
This is noce, but not a good solution at all. If you put ghard in front of sprinklers, so that propbably water will not spread properly to control fire ….
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:43 am
sou brasileira casada e nao falo ingles mas mesmo assim seja bem vindo
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:15 am
That sounds like fun. Sounds like what the protectors were built for.
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:34 am
Can anyone explain to me what 4^2 is?
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:33 am
That is so awesome ^__^ I heart engineers for that very reason. LONG LIVE 4^2 !!!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 am
kikass idea vijay..full on desi..lol
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:05 am
salut
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 am
fakt dobrí track
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:42 am
kooool
i guesse that iss cool
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:49 am
NICE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:23 am
it’s c0ol..
thnks 4 making this website..
it’s easier..
n0 need 2 download anything..
thnks again..
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:34 am
What is 4^2?
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
pobrecito meda pena eso no mas
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
awesome job keep it up……………
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Omg that was probably one of your guys’ best blogs in a while. haha that is so funny!! i like the picture too!! Go Meebo Team!!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Dude! I love 4^2! It’s a staple game at my work too
We had to do a little bit of improvisation as well this summer. The buildings we use don’t actually belong to us, so we weren’t allowed to put duct tape down or paint or anything of such like. The biggest (and most suitable) place to play 4^2 is carpeted. So we figured since we weren’t allowed to use duct tape and we needed to be able to tear down the court at a moment’s notice, Velcro tape would be great! So a couple of us went to the Facilities Department and picked some up, and then we made a quick trip down to Wal-Mart and got craft ribbon. We headed back and attached the Velcro to the ribbon, made our court, and had a blast all summer long! (It’s great to hear we aren’t the only workers other than elementary Phys. Ed. teachers that like to play 4^2 at work. 
)
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
OMG…..boo meebo team!!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:49 pm
go team meebo…….and good job
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
what the hell!
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
How do you guys make money? You have like thousands of employees and all your site does is chat… can that much money be made from advertising only?
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Well thats not exatly your innovation my friend! When the market already has a solution and you did not know about it, that does not make it an innovation, when u actually knew about it!!
October 24th, 2009 at 3:13 am
Yeah, i agree with Jo… how do you guys make mony?
October 24th, 2009 at 4:18 am
nadie es español jode…manda un mensaje si kereis algo a este msn adrian_2009calypo@hotmail.com
gracias frikis
October 24th, 2009 at 11:35 am
stfu
all that blabbery for nothing.. what the heck happened to the iphone app? rotten as this page i guess
October 24th, 2009 at 11:46 am
What ever happened to freedom of speech, Comrades???
October 24th, 2009 at 11:54 am
super samo nastavi hungari u ana marija_renato???????????????????????
October 24th, 2009 at 11:57 am
super ti ide samo nastavi bato do jaja anna renato hungari ???????????????????????
October 24th, 2009 at 11:58 am
faca si
October 24th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
hey boaring just shut up
October 24th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
these people need 2 stop doing the blogs
October 24th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
What do you need so many staff for?
October 24th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
people should stop doing the blog things
October 24th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
innovative(in my case) yet hilarious..i liked wat u guys did to save urself from drowning..
October 25th, 2009 at 12:12 am
hi, could you do a shout out for me on the next post? thanks
October 25th, 2009 at 12:50 am
thats awesome!
people mustn’t do such blog things (in my opinion)
October 25th, 2009 at 2:21 am
pourqu’oi ne puis-je m’inscrire sur meebo
October 25th, 2009 at 2:50 am
That’s cool !!!
October 25th, 2009 at 9:40 am
When companies/employees have time to write blogs like this about how they waste time, it shows how uncommited a company is, as stated from other users comments above about CS not responding.
Maybe in the 90s, it was cool to have an office full of do nothings who slept, did yoga, everything but work, but those good ole days are gone. My philosophy is if you have that much free time to do something other than work, then your job isnt really necessary.
PS I dont think anybody outside of your office knows what the hell 4^2 is and I wont be surprised when you flood your building
October 25th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
This blog posting should be added into the previous blog serious posted about venture capital funding. This one can be titled, how do loose interest of investors.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
hey,what are you guys talking about
October 25th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
hello are you guys there????????
October 25th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
i am leaving good-bye
October 25th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I would so love to work for a company like that, I’ll have to come up with ideas of fun activities for people who will work for me in the future!
October 25th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
low,.,.,.,thnks
October 25th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
helo who r u & wea u from
October 26th, 2009 at 12:23 am
hello. u did a good job. good work. sooo yeah… i don’t know what 2 write now soooo. bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 1:46 am
Fantastic work!
October 26th, 2009 at 6:47 am
Hahaha! Your company sounds a LOT like my company! A bunch a children, work hard–play harder!!
October 26th, 2009 at 7:50 am
Hello I need a lady between the age of 21-28 years of age for a serious relationship expect from Africa.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Acessem ai vai ser muito legal e divertido!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
wat a great job
October 26th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
how bout u shut up
October 26th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
hahahahaha…. lol hahahah thats dum =) on a fence
October 26th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
thats kind cool :K
October 26th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
hola
October 26th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
no entiendoooooo en inglhis
October 26th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
hola soy luis cumpli años ayer
October 26th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
ninoska no entiendes inglhis te comprendo
October 26th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
ninoska te comprendo
October 26th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
hola quisiera estar en contacto cvon algien
October 26th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
si gustan agregarme luis_yahir@live.com.mx
October 26th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
25 million to do what? Post inane messages with an effort to be funny, but is just lame? But really 25 million to do what? What the hell did those inept vcs spend their money on? It’s been 1.5 years and since then I the user of your site, have not notice a single difference. Why don’t you use the money instead of just coping trillian or the plethora of other companies that do the -exact- same thing.
October 27th, 2009 at 3:55 am
this work is very good
i need it
October 27th, 2009 at 5:05 am
looks like you guys had a successful activity.. well done!
I enjoy using meebo.. curious, what’s going on with facebook? i can’t log in?!??
anyways–
cheerios… K!
October 27th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
The people who are posting bitter messages are probably just jealous that they don’t have four square in THEIR offices. Besides that fact, if you’re seriously going to complain that rudely and demand further services…. Let’s think about this. Meebo is free, fast, well done & (best of all imho) from the Bay Area! It really doesn’t get much better.
You guys keep up the great work! I’ll bring you delicious home baked goods if you ever have an endurance 4^2 event!
October 27th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
why do u people keep writting things if no one likes them
October 27th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Hi all.My name’s Byambaa.I’m writing from Mongolia.I want to meet to English.My mail byambaa_rex@yahoo. com. i waiting………..
October 27th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Hai this is the one of mine favourite website. really this is the best webmessenger ever…………………………………………………………………..
October 28th, 2009 at 3:02 am
I think these guys are doing real good work, we are expected to encourage them . Its not all work work and work, we’re given the chance to communicate with family,friends and love one even connection can be made on this link.
The blog update is just to jist us about every progress in meebo house as members of the family and i think its nic
You guys keep up the great work! I’ll bring you delicious home baked Akara for having such an endurance 4^2 event!
You too much
October 28th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
nice job!
October 28th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
wow dats so stupid
October 28th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
WOW DATS SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!! NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 28th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I’m looking into using Meebo for a company of 1500 people spread out across 5 continents using 4 different IM clients. Assuming there are no security issues…Testing…Testing…..this blog has sold me. Keep on keeping on. You have inspired me to get more fun into my office. Lets go Giants!
October 28th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
letgogiants
October 28th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Sorry wanted to see if that would work on the blog too.. lol
October 28th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Yeah….playing 4-square is a small bit of fun they get to enjoy. We play mini-golf at my office, everyone has a shootout, and whoever scores best wins a gift card for dinner out somewhere, for fun we just play darts or computer games. Heck, my office has lan games during work hours sometimes.
Do you naysayers want to know what keeps employees happy? Small things like this that shows your company cares about you and your happiness, instead of just productivity and numbers. A LOT of companies do things like this. It just makes sense.
October 28th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Opps I spelled it wrong. OK sorry last post…
letsgogiants
October 28th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
nice web chat hope u enjoy ur stay here visit nowhttp://pakichat.w4c.in
October 28th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
show me the images.
October 28th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
hi hu r u please
October 29th, 2009 at 5:09 am
what’s 4^2?
must be lots of fun if you put that much effort into guarding the sprinklers.
greetings, klawd.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
i say u be patient and good job
November 13th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
kcoooooollllll Chris love the blog!!!!: )
November 13th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
kcoooooollllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!not Chris hate the bloggg