Yelp Community Blog

You shouldn't toot your own horn

someone else should do it for you...

John Dvorak of PC Magazine just released an article about Yelp, calling us "one of the best new Internet ideas". I have to admit that when my brother told me about the article (just before midnight) I was giddy. I've been reading John's column for years...

However, before I get all gushy it's important to note that he did call us collectively "Gen-Y yuppies, along with a lot of weird slackers, metalheads, and a few odd politicos", but who else does he think lives in SF?!?

Searching for my lost shaker of salt

Russ and Brian were busy this week overseeing the release of a new and improved search. A couple of random searches that I've tried returned much better results: best chocolate, hidden gem, and romantic spots.

Give things a whirl and let us know if you think we're doing better (or worse)...

Toe-Re-Me

Some sad news to report...

Darwin recently broke his toe while running off-leash. After an emergency visit to the Pets Unlimited ER he is now the official Yelp sympathy puppy, everyone has been giving him the saddest of looks. But Darwin wants you to know that being a conehead isn't so bad, people are now so much more likely to offer treats!

Yelptinis, just like mom used to make...

Well kids, the Yelp party went off smashingly and we were happy to help you get smashed. Hey hey, I'm here all week! But seriously, folks we've had some requests to post the secret ingredients to the concoctions that Nish and I came up with for the Yelp Holiday Bash.

So, here are our two signature Yelp drinks, and the rest you can download in PDF format (so you can make your own Stopp Drop or Nishalicious at home).

THE YELPTINI
If you could put Yelp in a martini glass, this might be what you got.
2 1/2 oz. Distillery 209 Gin
2 oz. Cranberry
1 oz. Sour
Twist of lime

YELP DRINK-TASTIC!
Named in honor of Yelp Map-tastic, you’re going to need this feature to figure out where you’re going after a few of these!
2 oz. Pomegranate Vodka
1 oz. Triple Sec
Splash of Cranberry
Splash of Pineapple
Garnished with Mint

Enjoy and please drink responsibly. I can't believe I just said that.

Some Tweaks

If you're a hardcore Yelper, you may have noticed the site was down for a bit yesterday. We released a couple of small things and one bigger invisible thing (shh it's a secret!).

Of the minor tweaks, I particularly like the feature Brandon and Michael came up with... local businesses can now showcase their Yelp reviews on their own websites.

We also tinkered with Search and the look of our business listing pages. Can't wait to see everyone at our Holiday Bash!

Hunting and Gathering

I often wonder how you, dear reader, use Yelp. Some (it's okay, you don't have to admit it) spend their time on individual profiles, trying to get into the head of a particular Yelper. Others focus on what's been Bookmarked the most, hoping to spot what's on everyone's must-visit list. Still others choose to relax in the warm Yelp bath that is Talk. Me, I'm always reading Recent Reviews watching opinions roll in like wild horses over the hills. Then again, I think I have a few good opinions myself.

Okay back to work before Russ gets out the whip and/or Darwin chews another network cable.

A Word on the Burst

It's been called The Yelp Flower, Windmill, Pizza and even Trivial Pursuit Pies. Well, as the designer on Yelp I'm here to clear the air a little bit on our illustrious logo. I like to call it the 'Yelp Burst.' It's the visualization of an abstract exclamation.

Catch all that? So, basically when I started on the logo I wanted to create Yelp! without the '!' I mean, think about it, the exclamation point is so passe and we didn't want Yelp to be passe. We wanted it to look fresh and exciting, so that's how the Burst was born. It appears over the heads of cartoons in moments of discovery and even bears a strong resemblance to the onomotapoeia of a popping noise. Like a pop of self expression explaining to the world your opinion. Now you can go back to Yelping with a sense of enlightenment.