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| Whrrl Graffiti on the Lance Armstrong Bikeway |
I stopped using Whrrl last January. Why? Well, it wasn't simply a lack of interest in the service. My main problem with Whrrl was the Whrrl logo I found spray painted onto entrance of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway on Shoal Creek in downtown Austin. I don't know if this was authorized by Whrrl or the work of a rogue guerilla marketer, but the instant effect of finding the Whrrl graffiti was for me to no longer want to be associated with the product. [Note: guerrilla marketing can be fun and clever; Whrrl's attempt at it happened to be just lame]
In addition to my problem with the graffiti, I had some negative opinions of Whrrl which had already lowered my opinion of the service. To start, here's a pro and con list:
Pros:
- allowed you to leave recommendations
- suggested places for you to try
- supposedly took information from other users, similar to you, into consideration for recommendations
Cons:
- the content of the user generated recs
- the result of the system's automated recommendations
- lack of friends using the system
- problems redeeming coupons for food specials awarded on Whrrl
- the ultimate "con" is that Whrrl no longer exists in the form which I used. Pelago, the maker of Whrrl, was acquired by Groupon in April 2011. Groupon does not appear to be using the former shell of Whrrl for anything resembling a LBS at this time.
Another way to look at this would be:
Pro:
- the potential
Con:
- the execution
Whrrl had a lot of potential. I liked the ida of leaving tips which would be sent out to other users, regardless of geographic proximity to the place being recommended. Moreover, I liked the idea that Whrrl would figure out my preferences for food as well as venues and thus render to me some suggestions for new places to try. This latter concept seemed like a benefit beyond what Foursquare and Gowalla were offering.
Unfortunately, the execution of Whrrl's recommendation system wasn't as good as it could have been. User submitted reviews were often useless (e.g., a recommendation to try "beer" at Little Woodrow's is not helpful). The problem appeared to be exacerbated by a review posting system which rewarded users for merely posting a comment, regardless of it's content (or lack thereof). Having other users try or validate your review would add additional points, but volume was clearly rewarded. The result: lots of pointless packets of information floating around. Furthermore, the recommendations provided automatically by Whrrl were usually pointless (e.g., recommending that I try a bar I already frequented).
Whrrl quickly bored most of my friends who tried it, thus it lost the social utility that Foursquare and Gowalla had for me. I don't recall if Whrrl could post to Facebook, but I don't remember ever using it for such purposes (while I have used Gowalla and Foursquare for Facebook updates).
Ultimately, a free LBS service like Whrrl should be fun and easy to use, and should provide some sort of value as well. Whrrl was kind of fun, but the value dropped off pretty fast. Foursquare had badges and mayor awards, while Gowalla (until August) had certain perks (and would automatically check you into Foursquare). And, if you have multiple social LBS options, it is unlikely that a lot of folks want to spend the time checking into multiple services if other options fulfill more needs and can be used quickly. I know that when I check into Foursquare, it's something I want to do quickly while walking into an establishment.
My opinion on Whrrl: lots of good ideas, but they didn't get delivered to the user in a manner which made the service more compelling than the competition. And, never spray paint your logo on a concrete surface in Austin if you want me to consider using your product or service.
Note: I haven't used Whrrl in almost a year, and the service no longer exists in the form I once used, so much of this post if derived from my memory of the product. I'm posting about it as a warm-up for discussing Foursquare, Gowalla, and Yelp. Also, for some reason, Blogger will not allow me to change "GoWalla" to "Gowalla."
