Online reviews keep stirring controversy, whether it’s about them being fake, biased or worth money.
yelp
New Yelp Wordmaps Show Where All the Bacon Is Hiding
For each map, you can choose from a selection of words frequently used in Yelp reviews – hipster, frat, tourist, noodles, etc. – to see which areas of the city are most associated with each word.
How a Group of Businesses Conspired to Get Better Yelp Ratings
Yelp recently busted what it calls a “review-swapping ring,” in which partners in a business network posted top ratings and glowingly positive reviews of each other’s services.
The Future of Local Internet Is…Edible?
“Hyperlocal” has been a buzzword for quite some time, based around the idea that the Internet should be talking to you about your neighborhood in particular, and not just some homogenous “out there.” But according to a new Pew Institute study, there’s one thing in particular users want from their hyperlocal surfing: food.
While …
Deal or No Deal: Facebook, Yelp Cut Daily Deals Services
Selective shoppers looking to save some money thanks to the Internet, beware: This particular sale may be ending sooner than you’d expect.
In the last week, not only has Facebook discontinued its Facebook Deals service, but Yelp is also rumored to be planning on “scaling back” its own Yelp Deals service, with 50% of the workforce …
Will a New Mobile Partnership Help Revitalize Zagat?
It’s no secret that crowdsourced review services like Yelp and Citysearch are directly responsible for the downfall of Zagat, whose city guides once reigned over the restaurant review space. If anything, it’s a testament to the Internet as the great leveler: Not only were the other services free, but the reviews were submitted by other …
Doctors Now Using Breach of Copyright to Quash Bad Online Reviews
No business likes to get bad reviews on websites like Yelp, but one profession may have worked out a way to make sure those bad reviews don’t stick around for long: Copyright infringement.
Around 3,000 doctors in the US use the services of a company called Medical Justice which, for just $1,200 a year, will protect its customers from …
Yelp Reviews Sex Clubs? You Got It
In case you didn’t get the memo, Yelp has expanded — to sex clubs. First, there was the quest to find that ultimate hipster spot (if they hadn’t already deemed it too “mainstream”), but now it’s off to what happens in the dark, naughty crevices of the night.
It’s a little shady, clandestine, and above all else in the …
Yelp Makes “Hipster” a Category to Describe Ambience
Are you searching for that rare can of Pabst Blue Ribbon? Do you need a restaurant that has a place to chain up your fixie bike? Does your definition of “business attire” include a pair of rolled up skinny jeans and a flannel shirt?
You can now find a restaurant that caters to your eclectic taste. Yelp has added “hipster” as one …
Google Eyes Yelp with ‘Hotpot’ Personalized Recommendations
Google’s new Hotpot service aims to leverage the data the company has on 50 million places of interest around the world to serve you personalized recommendations for businesses in your area. The company bills Hotpot as “a local recommendation engine powered by you and your friends.”
You’ll need to do a little priming first, as Hotpot …
Yelp Deals Introduced in San Francisco
You better watch out, and you better not cry: Yelp Deals is coming to town. (Well, actually, just for those for you who left your hearts in San Francisco.)
Kind of like Groupon or Lifebooker Loot, Yelp is offering discounted coupons. San Francisco’s first deal was a 60 minute massage for $49 — more than half off the original …
Yelp Walks Out On Google, $550 Million
It was reported last week that Google was poised to snatch up user generated review site Yelp for $550 million. It would have been a lovely acquisition and mashup with Google Maps, but something happened over the weekend to derail talks indefinitely.
TechCrunch is citing multiple sources saying Jeremy Stoppleman simply walked away …