goodrec
Geo-location applications are cool when then they are simple, easy to use and don’t feel overdone. Goodrec is one of those apps. Goodrec offers recommendations on books, movies, wine, bars and restaurants.
Just log on to Goodrec and choose what you’re looking for. Based on your location the application will point out bars and restaurants that are nearby. Green pins are marked on the map which indicate potential places of interest. Click on a pin and you’re taken to a page with the address, phone number and a picture of your destination when available. You may snap your own pic and add it to the Goodrec listing if it’s missing.
The main feature of GoodRec is the recommendations. There are short reviews with thumbs up or down buttons for users to add their own rating. Users can tag the listing “want it” and check it out at a later time. Goodrec, and this is the real point of the app, also allows you to see the recommendations made by your friends if they’ve also signed up on the main GoodRec site.
While the Goodrec’s intentions are good it definitely has some areas that need improvement. First, the app offers information on too many things. Will wine drinkers really care for wine recommendations from a geo-location app that also recommends books, movies and bars? Second, the dreaded sign-up. Why must Goodrec users sign up to access all of its features? They must also encourage their friends to sign up in order to see things their friends recommend. Goodrec faces some pretty tough competition namely from applications like Around Me, Yelp, and UrbanSpoon.
Goodrec is an okay application overall. It’s integration of geo-location technology is a step in the right direction. However, the user interface seems cluttered and the user is faced with too many options. Simple in this case would be better. The thumbs up or down feature from other users is a great example of that, a good feature that’s simple. In any case it’s still a virtual roll of the dice whether or not you’re going to agree with the masses. Goodrec is currently free so you won’t lose anything other than time if you want to check it out.
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category: Share Location
November 4th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
This is cool that you can see what your friends recommend. The app didn’t really impress me until I read that.
Where do I sign?
November 4th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
The name is kind of weird but I can appreciate the application itself. There’s a similar one called BlackBook that might not have the cool friends’ interest feature but is very easy to use
November 4th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Yes BlackBook has a higher user rating than this app as well. It truly is helpful. There are also feedback forums for each location from people who have been there