Reviewing the Review website

A newish website you may not have seen is certainly worth your time and effort to check out today.  The site's called Yelp (like a small annoying dog).  Yelp is a social network based around reviews.  Critique your local restaraunt, vet, grocery store, dentist, etc. and also list upcomming events you may be interested in attending.  As you may be able to guess, the site is very helpful if you're looking for a review of a business or a fun event.  I found at least 2 fantastic events, a quality dentist and a great restaraunt by cruising the right spots on Yelp.

The main problem with the site, on the other hand, is the lack of payment structure for the people doing all the work and producing their content.  Unlike Gather, and our most blessed "Gather Points," or even money if you can produce enough wonderful buzz on the site, Yelp asks you put in the time and effort to evaluate these local establishments and not even recieve a reward of the most meager value.  The most valuable reward for posting your content is knowing you helped others just as they have helped you in finding fantastic (or avoiding purely terrible) places.  Next to that, the best thing they have going is neat html maps of places you reviewed.

Still, the site's worth taking for a spin, even if you only plan to exploit the reviews of others.   And again, these html maps are perdy darned neat, even if they won't show up on Gather.  You can check mine out at the bottom of my profile page over there.