Thing # 6 Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

I selected Yelp.com from the list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees.
I explored http://www.yelp.com --

"the fun and easy way to find and talk about great (and not so great) local businesses"

The search engine on this site lets you type in what you are looking for (i.e. mexican food or used books) and your location.  I typed in "Mexican food" near "Clarksville" and received 8 results.  I chose a restaurant (Casa Blanca) to see what they had to say.  The listing showed the restaurant's location (along with a pretty handy Google map), phone number, and price range.  The listing also gave a slew of other information such as "attire," "good for kids," "takes reservations," "delivery," "take out,""outdoor seating,"etc.  Along with this somewhat arbitrary information (there is link at the bottom where you can edit this information-- to be reviewed by Yelp headquarters) were a few reviews written by Yelp users.  The reviews give a 1-5 star review along with comments.

The website was somewhat interesting but not 100% useful.  My searches sometimes resulted in out of date information (a search for "Thai food" near "Clarksville" came back with two restaurants-- one of which has been closed for several months).

The site was more useful when accessed from another point of view.  Instead of keying in your own search for types of food/shops, you can search for reviews under a "Find Reviews" tab.  The reviews are grouped into several categories:  restaurants, shopping, nightlife, beauty and spas, active life and coffee & tea.  Under these headings are "top 10" listings of reviews, obviously for more popular spots.  These reviews were more frequented and came up with better information, along with photos posted by users.  So, if you want to find a good restaurant in your area, you may want to use this feature instead of simply typing in your craving into the search engine.  (It is also kind of fun to see what people have to say about restaurants that you either frequent or make a point not to).

All in all, the site for Clarksville did not have very many useful reviews.  Maybe in a larger city the site would be more helpful?  Nashville's listings were a little more impressive.

I do not see a very practical application for this site in a library or school.   There were a few reviews listed under "Arts & Entertainment" that may be relevant for teachers looking for field trip ideas. For example, The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center in Clarksville was listed with 2 positive reviews.  A teacher may or may not find these reviews helpful.