As our use of Yammer dies down, Twitter accelerates and I continue to wonder if Dopplr is worth the effort, there are three digital services that I have come to deeply appreciate. Each has become a staple of my life to the point where I almost take them for granted. One of them I will kick myself for telling you about.
OpenTable
I have been an OpenTable user for years. I think most newspaper restaurant listings are either poorly organized or perform so slowly due to the heavy architecture of most newspaper sites to b of much real use. I hate calling around to find & make dinner reservations. I find that too many restaurants have not learned the fundamentals of word of mouth marketing and provide a lousy phone experience.
OpenTable simplifies everything. It actually lives by the mantra of AOF Method from Joshua Porter (basically a singular focus on Activity, Objects and Features to get that simple, Web2.0 experience). It's purpose or the activity it focuses on is making restaurant reservations. By being so simple, friendly and effective, OpenTable creates a halo of good will for all of the restaurants who participate. And I have never had a problem - no dropped reservations, no mixups,nothing. They have become reliable in a world of beta breakdowns.
Ideeli
This is the one I hate to mention. The more people who discover this 'gem' the more likely it will sink under the weight. Simply put Ideeli is a shopping "club" that presents special items every day or so that I and other members can purchase at a much reduced price. It's mostly items like bags, jewelery, and woman's clothing or accessories. So, I am buying stuff for my wife. But the model is superb.
They only carry quality goods. The prices feel very special. And the notifications via email and mobile are very enough to keep me aware without being intrusive. They notify you in advance of the "sale." If you are a premium member, you can purchase an hour ahead of others. The products always sell out (or so the interface says) or the sale closes within a day or two.
like a lot of folks, I am spending less and only looking for those great "values." I don't want to buy crap just to have more stuff. I would rather wait for that great find. Now, Ideeli 'pings' me with that find.
Pandora
I remain loyal to Pandora because without them I wouldn't have Beast, Bettie Serveert or The Ramones, "She Talks to Rainbows" (their most wonderful song). I have built a dozen or so channels and often listen to the "Quick Mix" of them all. The relational database that they have built will actually play music that is related to Jon Dee Graham (Austin-based gravely voiced ex-True Believer). The fact that I can access it anywhere is a big plus.
The only monkeywrench is Apple's Genuis feature. I have only had it on my iTunes for 3-4 months but it has proved useful towards introducing me to new music. Still, I like the 'culture' of Pandora - Tim Westergren's 'listening tours' across the country to hear what customers think, the continuous improvements and updates to the system (perpetual beta done right), and their 'underdog' status as they battle government and business against crippling fees.
What will stick in 2009?
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