UK-based TrustedPlaces is a very interesting site that has been built with comparatively little investment. It’s been mostly in Europe but is now starting to make its way into New York. In many respects it appears like other “Web 2.0” sites focused on the local market. However, it has two features that are unique (as far as I know):
- The “TasteMatcher” game, which helps in a visual and fun way elicit a user profile (tied to later collaborative filtering, personalization and the site’s algorithm). Once your profile is established the site can match you to other users and show you recommendations accordingly.
- And the ability to “follow” recommendations from particular users without “friending” them. While some might make jokes about stalking this feature is valuable because if you find someone whose taste or choices you like you can keep track of their recommendations with a Facebook news-feed-like feature. You don’t have to artificially try and connect with that person to do so.
October 23, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Yelpers have been enjoying similar features for a while.
1. In the lower-right corner of user’s home page, the “similar yelpers” box points you toward others with similar tastes/preferences.
2. Yelpers cad add other users to “favorites,” thereby staying abreast of the site’s wittiest without necessarily befriending them (I call it stalking from afar).
November 7, 2007 at 7:13 pm
[…] might want to look at acquiring or developing a property like TrustedPlaces to complement its traditional online directory product — if that isn’t an […]
January 22, 2008 at 3:03 pm
[…] new social directory touchlocal seeks broader visibility. It joins TrustedPlaces, welovelocal and a couple of others in trying to give Yell a Web 2.0 run for its money. Ultimately […]
March 12, 2008 at 9:30 pm
[…] my previous discussion about Trusted […]
May 20, 2010 at 12:30 pm
[…] might want to look at acquiring or developing a property likeTrustedPlaces to complement its traditional online directory product — if that isn’t an […]