Comments on: Povo Lets Residents Say What’s Best and Worst About Boston, Block by Block http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/ Business + Technology in the Exponential Economy Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:30:41 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Official Offer » Blog Archive » Povo Lets Residents Say What’s Best and Worst About Boston, Block … - Xconomy http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/comment-page-1/#comment-10962 Official Offer » Blog Archive » Povo Lets Residents Say What’s Best and Worst About Boston, Block … - Xconomy Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:11:58 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/#comment-10962 [...] Original story here. [...] [...] Original story here. [...]

]]> By: Max Metral http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/comment-page-1/#comment-10951 Max Metral Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:02:27 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/#comment-10951 Oh, forgot to mention, we integrated Google Street View today so you can click on any listing and see the street level view. And in keeping with the wiki style and the reality that street view coordinates aren't always right, if you find a better view, you can click a button to make that the default view for that listing. Oh, forgot to mention, we integrated Google Street View today so you can click on any listing and see the street level view. And in keeping with the wiki style and the reality that street view coordinates aren’t always right, if you find a better view, you can click a button to make that the default view for that listing.

]]> By: Max Metral http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/comment-page-1/#comment-10950 Max Metral Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:00:12 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/#comment-10950 Yeah, the "UGF" (please, please, help me find a better name) is tough to convince or even explain on first visit, but it is the core reason why Povo is different than the rest (whether it's sufficient is a separate question). As an example, and for some fun, today I got the Red Sox schedule a a CSV. I created a template with all the games in them that "returns" whether there's a game today or not, and the details about it. Then made another template to show on the front page "There's a game today against X at [Home/Away]". I think this is cool. But what's more important is that now, when somebody decides to add "event parking prices" to the parking garages around Fenway, they can use my template to figure out if that pricing applies when I'm searching, and then someone can modify the search template to ask "are you looking for parking during an upcoming Red Sox game?" or better, "when are you looking to park, so I can make sure they're not going to crush your soul when you're just trying to go to the movie theater?" Go Sox. Yeah, the “UGF” (please, please, help me find a better name) is tough to convince or even explain on first visit, but it is the core reason why Povo is different than the rest (whether it’s sufficient is a separate question). As an example, and for some fun, today I got the Red Sox schedule a a CSV. I created a template with all the games in them that “returns” whether there’s a game today or not, and the details about it. Then made another template to show on the front page “There’s a game today against X at [Home/Away]“. I think this is cool. But what’s more important is that now, when somebody decides to add “event parking prices” to the parking garages around Fenway, they can use my template to figure out if that pricing applies when I’m searching, and then someone can modify the search template to ask “are you looking for parking during an upcoming Red Sox game?” or better, “when are you looking to park, so I can make sure they’re not going to crush your soul when you’re just trying to go to the movie theater?”

Go Sox.

]]> By: Wade Roush http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/comment-page-1/#comment-10900 Wade Roush Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:19:18 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/#comment-10900 @Zach, Sometimes, comments that include lots of links (like Max's) get caught in Wordpress's moderation queue. I just approved his comment a little while ago, which is why it appears before your second comment in the sequence didn't get published until after yours. Sorry about that. @Zach,
Sometimes, comments that include lots of links (like Max’s) get caught in Wordpress’s moderation queue. I just approved his comment a little while ago, which is why it appears before your second comment in the sequence didn’t get published until after yours. Sorry about that.

]]> By: Zach http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/comment-page-1/#comment-10899 Zach Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:14:20 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/#comment-10899 @Max Didn't see your comment when I posted my follow up... not sure what happened there... But first, I'll indeed contend that CS is more of an editorially based site. I'll also admit that I hadn't searched for parks, only restaurants- but in all fairness- when I searched for a good place to find pub food and good beer near my home- I found one of my two favorite places. I think I'll have to make sure it finds the other one too. Now that I've delved through the pages more, what I'm seeing is more a goal of becoming the authority on localized information; wiki styled content management; and an almost organic growth potential. All of this as opposed to the social network styled CitySearch give Povo the potential to hit very well in Boston. And I should admit that I had originally underestimated the user generated functionality- this has potential to be really, really cool. What I had already picked up to be my favorite feature (the advanced drill-down capabilities within searches)- you pointed out that with user created functions- this becomes unlimitedly useful. I look forward to seeing what is built. @Max
Didn’t see your comment when I posted my follow up… not sure what happened there…

But first, I’ll indeed contend that CS is more of an editorially based site. I’ll also admit that I hadn’t searched for parks, only restaurants- but in all fairness- when I searched for a good place to find pub food and good beer near my home- I found one of my two favorite places. I think I’ll have to make sure it finds the other one too.

Now that I’ve delved through the pages more, what I’m seeing is more a goal of becoming the authority on localized information; wiki styled content management; and an almost organic growth potential. All of this as opposed to the social network styled CitySearch give Povo the potential to hit very well in Boston.

And I should admit that I had originally underestimated the user generated functionality- this has potential to be really, really cool. What I had already picked up to be my favorite feature (the advanced drill-down capabilities within searches)- you pointed out that with user created functions- this becomes unlimitedly useful. I look forward to seeing what is built.

]]> By: Zach http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/comment-page-1/#comment-10889 Zach Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:26:09 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/#comment-10889 Ok, I expected numerous responses to my comment... but seeing as how there are none and I hate to see a great local company only have one negative comment... I'm going to go ahead and have a conversation with myself. I spent a little more time on Povo last night and have a rebuttal: UI and information management. The layout and design of Povo makes sense to me and I've found it incredibly easy to find the information I'm looking for. First - UI The more wiki-like layout puts a lot of information on one page, but keeps in well managed. I know where to click - and find the drill-down search feature very convenient. Plus, it just looks clean. Information Management The problem I run into with CitySearch is that its localized content isn't localized enough. Sometimes it gives me a five mile radius (which isn't good enough anyway) and sometimes it's like I'm searching all of Boston metro. For someone without a car- this is a pretty important feature. The way Povo breaks down the city by neighborhood, which works very well for Boston, it's possible to search on a heavily localized basis. I have already found more accurate local listings than CitySearch. What I still haven't found is the depth of content, which sadly can only come with a large user-base and time. Once Povo gains both of these- I think we'll have a highly useful site that could easily steal some thunder from its competition. Ok, I expected numerous responses to my comment… but seeing as how there are none and I hate to see a great local company only have one negative comment… I’m going to go ahead and have a conversation with myself.

I spent a little more time on Povo last night and have a rebuttal: UI and information management.

The layout and design of Povo makes sense to me and I’ve found it incredibly easy to find the information I’m looking for.

First – UI
The more wiki-like layout puts a lot of information on one page, but keeps in well managed. I know where to click – and find the drill-down search feature very convenient. Plus, it just looks clean.

Information Management
The problem I run into with CitySearch is that its localized content isn’t localized enough. Sometimes it gives me a five mile radius (which isn’t good enough anyway) and sometimes it’s like I’m searching all of Boston metro. For someone without a car- this is a pretty important feature. The way Povo breaks down the city by neighborhood, which works very well for Boston, it’s possible to search on a heavily localized basis. I have already found more accurate local listings than CitySearch.

What I still haven’t found is the depth of content, which sadly can only come with a large user-base and time. Once Povo gains both of these- I think we’ll have a highly useful site that could easily steal some thunder from its competition.

]]> By: Max Metral http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/comment-page-1/#comment-10761 Max Metral Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:36:17 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/#comment-10761 It may take quite a while before we compete with City Search on restaurants and bars. (I submit CS is not UGC, it's editorial with reviews). CS is not parks, or pretty much any other not-strictly-for-profit entity (they have some, but very little depth). Additionally, Povo is not just UGC, it's "UGF"(unctionality). So for example, here's a search for parks on CitySearch: http://boston.citysearch.com/search?context=directory&query=park&cslink=cs_topbar_search&searchOpt=cs And on Povo: http://boston.povo.com/?search&tags=parks Or for parks with baseball fields: http://boston.povo.com/?search&tags=parks,baseball And on top of that, for places I can park for less than $15 for 2 hours in Boston: http://boston.povo.com/?search=&verb=search&search=&tags=parking&text=&addr=Boston&radius=Boston&SearchTemplates=Parking_Garage&Parking_Garage.ParkingTime=120&Parking_Garage.MaximumParkingRate=15&x=44&y=9 And the main point of the last one is that the entire "engine" behind that search is under user control. Want to add a checkbox for SUVs? No Povo developer has to do a thing for that to work. Our hope is that the "efficiency" of contribution to value creation in Povo is just in a different league from the monolithic, centralized development and editorial of something like CitySearch. But maybe I'm underestimating their ilk, and certainly the key is for us to be able to take someone like you who clearly spent time with Povo and knows what they're talking about and make it painfully obvious how it's different. Suggestions appreciated. :) It may take quite a while before we compete with City Search on restaurants and bars. (I submit CS is not UGC, it’s editorial with reviews). CS is not parks, or pretty much any other not-strictly-for-profit entity (they have some, but very little depth). Additionally, Povo is not just UGC, it’s “UGF”(unctionality). So for example, here’s a search for parks on CitySearch:

http://boston.citysearch.com/search?context=directory&query=park&cslink=cs_topbar_search&searchOpt=cs

And on Povo:

http://boston.povo.com/?search&tags=parks

Or for parks with baseball fields:
http://boston.povo.com/?search&tags=parks,baseball

And on top of that, for places I can park for less than $15 for 2 hours in Boston:
http://boston.povo.com/?search=&verb=search&search=&tags=parking&text=&addr=Boston&radius=Boston&SearchTemplates=Parking_Garage&Parking_Garage.ParkingTime=120&Parking_Garage.MaximumParkingRate=15&x=44&y=9

And the main point of the last one is that the entire “engine” behind that search is under user control. Want to add a checkbox for SUVs? No Povo developer has to do a thing for that to work.

Our hope is that the “efficiency” of contribution to value creation in Povo is just in a different league from the monolithic, centralized development and editorial of something like CitySearch. But maybe I’m underestimating their ilk, and certainly the key is for us to be able to take someone like you who clearly spent time with Povo and knows what they’re talking about and make it painfully obvious how it’s different.

Suggestions appreciated. :)

]]> By: Zach http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/comment-page-1/#comment-10754 Zach Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:57:24 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/2008/03/31/povo-lets-residents-say-whats-best-and-worst-about-boston-block-by-block/#comment-10754 Ok, so I spent a little lunch break playing with Povo today and first have to say that I think it's really cool. I've only lived in the area for a few years and I'm always up for new places to try out- but my question: how does this compete with the vast database of UGC behind <a href="http://boston.citysearch.com/" rel="nofollow">City Search</a>? Povo has a much more Wiki-like feel to it, but beyond being more authoritatively focused than the already successful, user generated, CitySearch.com... what new value is added? Ok, so I spent a little lunch break playing with Povo today and first have to say that I think it’s really cool.

I’ve only lived in the area for a few years and I’m always up for new places to try out- but my question: how does this compete with the vast database of UGC behind City Search? Povo has a much more Wiki-like feel to it, but beyond being more authoritatively focused than the already successful, user generated, CitySearch.com… what new value is added?

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