Today Is Yelp Day Today in SF

Today has been proclaimed “Yelp Day” in San Francisco by Mayor Gavin Newsom. I kid you not. Here’s the text of the proclamation:

WHEREAS, San Francisco-based, Yelp.com acts as a sounding board for locals to publish candid reviews about local businesses and services with personality and humor, distinguishing it from many professional rating systems because of the site’s focus on “real people”; and

WHEREAS, Since its founding in 2004, Yelp has expanded across the country, transforming the way citizens approach finding local services, currently hosting more than 5 million visitors each month, and has amassing more than 1.9 million user-generated reviews; and

WHEREAS, Yelp offers patrons a myriad of reviews from “real people,” on anything from restaurants, to public parks, to mechanics; anyone can create an account, giving users an outlet to share experiences and opinions; and

WHEREAS, Yelp fosters a community mindset by encouraging San Franciscans to offer advice to one another, and to trust other users’ personal recommendations over professional reviews by creating profiles and identities, interacting with one another, and discussing their opinions about what San Francisco has to offer; and

WHEREAS, San Francisco’s rich culture is rooted in its history of diverse ideas and enterprises, and by promoting small businesses, Yelp helps continue this legacy by allowing viewers to search for top-rated venues within a specific neighborhood, allowing local businesses to compete with larger ones; and

WHEREAS, Yelp is also a resource for local events, helping users stay connected with the community by promoting festivals, performances, and fundraisers – including Yelp’s Third Annual Holiday Party held today at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Gavin Newsom, Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, do hereby proclaim December 5, 2007…