Andrew Shotland takes on Twitter and local in his recent post…
There has been a lot of digital ink spilled over Twitter’s local search implications. Over the past few months several Twitter services have launched with a local angle. I thought it would be interesting to get them all in one place and provide some details…
CitySquares in Boston and beyond says business is good with advertisers’ coupons being hot.
Citysearch rebuilt its site. “Elements of the revamp include a more intuitive interface, an embrace of social media, a major focus on video, some new twists in mobile, and the development of a full-fledged local ad and content network that offers an alternative to Google’s dominant position.” –Local Onliner
Service Magic is doing very well, despite the general economic conditions. Co-founder Rodney Rice’s “6 Keys to Success in Local Services” via Andrew Shotland:
Angie’s List took in more VC money recently, bringing it’s total raised to about $66 million. And Shotland reports Angie Hicks saying “The biggest competitor in the space is ‘your next door neighbor.’” Interesting. In this light, Angie’s List offers another way to buy your way out of something you just can’t find the time to do… get to know the neighbors and have conversations with them. Front Porch Forum, on the other hand, is free and uses things like plumber recommendations among clearly identified nearby neighbors as a way to help connect neighbors and lead toward more vital communities.
And again from Shotland…
The thing I love the most about both Angie’s and Rodney’s talks is that they are both very much outside the local search/Silicon Valley community in some ways (well Angie did raise a bunch of $ from VCs and Rodney did sell out to IAC, but besides that), but they are both incredibly successful.
Mike Boland posted today about a conversation with Center’d’s CEO who…
positions the company as a deeper dive into events, which breaths more functionality into all of the nuances of planning local outings. With the tag line, people, places, plans, it also brings in some social features and local search functionality.
The value proposition lies in the integration of these otherwise disparate local media categories. The idea is that a group of friends can plan a weekday dinner outing, find the location, read reviews (Yelp integration), invite people, and set up a landing page as a central source for event management. One can argue that this already exists with Google Maps, Yelp, and Evite, but the main point is that it doesn’t exist all in one place.
Center’d formerly was known as FatDoor.
Just stumbled across this exchange posted on AllExperts.com… (thanks David!)…
Expert: David Beckett
Date: 8/27/2008
Subject: Temporary HousingQuestion
Hi David – I read your answers about Burlington and my husband & I decided to move here from Los Angeles a few months ago… We love it here. I am French and we need to go back to France for family reasons from November through March 2009 and I would hate to leave the house empty for a host of reasons.Ideally we could rent the place (we have a beautiful 4 bedroom house in the Hill section) but I am not sure where to post an ad. The other option would be to have a professional come on a regular basis to ensure that everything is OK (i.e. heating still on). Do you have any recommendations for either solutions?
I assume we are not the only people to leave Vermont in the winter, I was just curious if there were any obvious resources available that we are not aware of.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Answer
Hello Isabelle – Glad you like Burlington! … You might also post a note on your “Front Porch Forum” email list, without your address of course, just asking if neighbors have people to recommend as short term renters or housesitters. If you haven’t gotten onto your neighborhood “Front Porch Forum” yet – I recommend it. You can read archives and sign up at http://www.frontporchforum.comPlease feel free to contact me directly – I’m happy to help. I live in your neighborhood.
Ghost of Midnight is an online journal about fostering community within neighborhoods, with a special focus on Front Porch Forum (FPF). My wife, Valerie, and I founded FPF in 2006... read more