After months of work we've reached a milestone. Expedia has approved Oistr to sell hotel bookings.
They realize that there are going to be other sites out there selling travel so they have a number of solutions people can use. Most sites simply bounce a user out to the Expedia interface, or an interface designed by Expedia with your logo on it.
We went the extra mile though and designed our own user interface that we think is more intuitive and easier to use - the beauty of a new type of design with all the price and selection that Expedia has to offer.
Research shows that a customer that is looking to book a hotel only succeeds around 50% of the time on a site they chose for that purpose. 1 out of 2 are dissapointed with the amount of information available, simply can't navigate the interface or come up against technical obstacles. We have designed Oistr to be as easy to use as possible.
By approving us, Expedia is saying that the Oistr interface is up to snuff to represent their products, it is a compliment. (Not to mention the other compliments they've paid us.) It makes us feel good about the hard work we've put in.
Now we just need to get some more people using the site....
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
New Ventures BC and free resources for startups like ours
New Ventures BC is dedicated to helping new businesses get off the ground - strengthening our economy.
They have competitions that encourage businesses to develop and seminars on everything from organizational structure to where to find funding.
I recently discovered the Vancouver Enterprise forum which also has resources for entrepreneurs, there’s the Ontario Centre for Excellence and those are just the few that I know about.
Take into account Meetup groups, Facebook networking groups and more you could spend your entire day every day just networking and looking for money for your business. Some people say that this should be 75% of a CEO’s job description in a start up and it is certainly true at Oistr.
Part of the reason our economy is stronger and better than other countries is these resources that are openly available and sponsored by larger businesses.
Imagine living in a country where you are free to start a business, in fact you don’t have any of the same red tape to go through in order to open your doors, but there is no education or networking or easy avenues to getting funding for your idea. How are you going to start a business besides a shoe shining stand or a tailor?
Earlier in this blog I posted an entry about how much of that aforementioned red tape there is when you’re trying to start a business in Vancouver and how I felt that was a major holdback for our economy. Now I have a better idea of how available help including money is for new businesses and how that makes all the difference in the world.
They have competitions that encourage businesses to develop and seminars on everything from organizational structure to where to find funding.
I recently discovered the Vancouver Enterprise forum which also has resources for entrepreneurs, there’s the Ontario Centre for Excellence and those are just the few that I know about.
Take into account Meetup groups, Facebook networking groups and more you could spend your entire day every day just networking and looking for money for your business. Some people say that this should be 75% of a CEO’s job description in a start up and it is certainly true at Oistr.
Part of the reason our economy is stronger and better than other countries is these resources that are openly available and sponsored by larger businesses.
Imagine living in a country where you are free to start a business, in fact you don’t have any of the same red tape to go through in order to open your doors, but there is no education or networking or easy avenues to getting funding for your idea. How are you going to start a business besides a shoe shining stand or a tailor?
Earlier in this blog I posted an entry about how much of that aforementioned red tape there is when you’re trying to start a business in Vancouver and how I felt that was a major holdback for our economy. Now I have a better idea of how available help including money is for new businesses and how that makes all the difference in the world.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Oyster, Oistr, Oystr and more.
So there is only one way to spell oyster, but there aren't that many dot coms available out there and sometimes you have to settle for what you can get. There are many variations that are held by domain name squatters wh are asking for 10,000 and up for the name - that they aren't using.
Oistr is a different spelling, hopefully it's nice and memorable. I find it easy to rattle off and anyone listening hasn't had a problem typing it in.
I spoke with the CEO of a company that has around 5 different sites run out of one office, he has been diligently buying up domain after domain and he still estimates he's losing at least 10 percent of his traffic to mistyped domains that he doesn't have.
Of course, there are some ways around this, if you can convince your audience to bookmark your site or better yet, make it your homepage you're off to a great start.
If you can't do that, then make it as easily shareable and social as you possibly can. Oistr has share options at every single turn, links to Digg, Stumbleupon, Facebook and a chance to email friends whenever possible. You like a picture? Email the link. You like a collection of pictures? Email the link. Have you created a trip? Email the link to your friends, in fact, invite them to take part in the trip.
This last one needs special mention - collaborating on a trip. If you and your friend did a cross Europe trip and visited 17 countries, put your pictures up on the map. Show people how far you travelled. Also, let your friend put his own pictures up - he can still take them down and edit them whenever he wants. Plus, it updates in real time, if your aunt doesn't look at the link for a week and a half, any updates will be reflected when she finally does get around to checking it out.
So we couldn't get Oyster. Or oystr, or oister, or any other reasonable variation. Typos such as ooistr and oiistr are available for people who tap the same key twice (I find it seems to happen more often on my macbook than a normal keyboard) and we are picking these up so any of our traditional advertising requiring people to type the name in will still be directed to the right place.
As we develop we may start buying more expensive names like Oyster, the nice thing is we'll have the data to make the decisions. Isn't technology great?
Oistr is a different spelling, hopefully it's nice and memorable. I find it easy to rattle off and anyone listening hasn't had a problem typing it in.
I spoke with the CEO of a company that has around 5 different sites run out of one office, he has been diligently buying up domain after domain and he still estimates he's losing at least 10 percent of his traffic to mistyped domains that he doesn't have.
Of course, there are some ways around this, if you can convince your audience to bookmark your site or better yet, make it your homepage you're off to a great start.
If you can't do that, then make it as easily shareable and social as you possibly can. Oistr has share options at every single turn, links to Digg, Stumbleupon, Facebook and a chance to email friends whenever possible. You like a picture? Email the link. You like a collection of pictures? Email the link. Have you created a trip? Email the link to your friends, in fact, invite them to take part in the trip.
This last one needs special mention - collaborating on a trip. If you and your friend did a cross Europe trip and visited 17 countries, put your pictures up on the map. Show people how far you travelled. Also, let your friend put his own pictures up - he can still take them down and edit them whenever he wants. Plus, it updates in real time, if your aunt doesn't look at the link for a week and a half, any updates will be reflected when she finally does get around to checking it out.
So we couldn't get Oyster. Or oystr, or oister, or any other reasonable variation. Typos such as ooistr and oiistr are available for people who tap the same key twice (I find it seems to happen more often on my macbook than a normal keyboard) and we are picking these up so any of our traditional advertising requiring people to type the name in will still be directed to the right place.
As we develop we may start buying more expensive names like Oyster, the nice thing is we'll have the data to make the decisions. Isn't technology great?
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Future is Friendly
As I write this, I am comfortably riding the bus. I remember a day when I didn't even have text messaging on my phone, now I have the whole Internet.
I recently upgraded to a 3G network phone and discovered the joy of tethering to my laptop. Now, I've got the whole Internet anywhere I have cell coverage, at speeds faster than regular dial up and for many things as good as high speed dsl.
But that wasn't good enough. When I'm going to see my parents on a Saturday afternoon I don't want to carry my laptop around. I played around with a couple of different mobile apps, and with Windows Mobile there is a lot of choice.
At some point I stumbled upon Skyfire. www.skyfire.com. This incredibly cool browser works to minimize bandwidth and maximize the mobile browsing experience. Java? Check. Flash? Eat your heart out iPhone. Nearly everything you could want. About the only exception are applications that require click and drag.
Unfortunately, this includes my website www.oistr.com which can only offer limited functionality. My point is that when you don't have to pack around a laptop and you can access the Internet from your phone the face of travel is going to be changed forever.
In the future, accessing our site from a phone will let you find the nearest bar or restaurant to your location, complete with pictures, price range and user comments. Additional functionality may include the ability to upload your pictures and videos directly from your phone, reserve restaurant seats or car rentals or book a bus tour or scenic flight.
Have you ever been standing around in a city not sure what you want to do? We aim to solve that problem by letting you see what other users are doing in real-time. If you're a surfer you'll be able to see which beaches are busy, a skateboarder, you'll see where the skate parks are or where the popular jumps are. If you're a middle aged European couple you can find the best lookouts and restaurants.
Telus is a phone company in Canada and their slogan is "the future is friendly". Seeing as how they are going to be providing many users with the mobile ability to do all of these things, I have to agree with them.
I recently upgraded to a 3G network phone and discovered the joy of tethering to my laptop. Now, I've got the whole Internet anywhere I have cell coverage, at speeds faster than regular dial up and for many things as good as high speed dsl.
But that wasn't good enough. When I'm going to see my parents on a Saturday afternoon I don't want to carry my laptop around. I played around with a couple of different mobile apps, and with Windows Mobile there is a lot of choice.
At some point I stumbled upon Skyfire. www.skyfire.com. This incredibly cool browser works to minimize bandwidth and maximize the mobile browsing experience. Java? Check. Flash? Eat your heart out iPhone. Nearly everything you could want. About the only exception are applications that require click and drag.
Unfortunately, this includes my website www.oistr.com which can only offer limited functionality. My point is that when you don't have to pack around a laptop and you can access the Internet from your phone the face of travel is going to be changed forever.
In the future, accessing our site from a phone will let you find the nearest bar or restaurant to your location, complete with pictures, price range and user comments. Additional functionality may include the ability to upload your pictures and videos directly from your phone, reserve restaurant seats or car rentals or book a bus tour or scenic flight.
Have you ever been standing around in a city not sure what you want to do? We aim to solve that problem by letting you see what other users are doing in real-time. If you're a surfer you'll be able to see which beaches are busy, a skateboarder, you'll see where the skate parks are or where the popular jumps are. If you're a middle aged European couple you can find the best lookouts and restaurants.
Telus is a phone company in Canada and their slogan is "the future is friendly". Seeing as how they are going to be providing many users with the mobile ability to do all of these things, I have to agree with them.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Go be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard
Today, it was sunny. It's not sunny that often in Vancouver and we wanted to get the most out of it.
So, we went and sat on a patio. Now, if you've ever spent a sunny afternoon drinking a beer in Gastown, Vancouver, it's likely you spent it on this patio. It's huge, covered in brick and brilliantly placed on the north side of the intersection for maximum sun exposure. (Being in the northern hemisphere, this is the only way.)
Back to the idea of being a tourist in your own town, I decided to climb up on a statue of Gassy Jack. Legend has it when Vancouver was nothing but a small collection of miners and fishermen, Gassy Jack said, "If you build me a bar, I will serve you the liquor."
Unsurprisingly, the bar was put up in a day.
Gastown is a very historic area of our great city of Vancouver and I have never once explored it. There are bus and walking tours, plaques all over the place and a lot of history. I've never looked for any of it.
That made me think. People go on vacation, take the tours, take pictures of themselves with mascots and statues and monuments, but they never do that in their own city. I think people should more often.
For Oistr we're going to have contests to get people to go do this stuff, learn about their own city and have a good time doing it. Then, as luck would have it, they'll be able to put up their pictures, their thoughts and let other people enjoy them.... Think about it, if you're planning a vacation, wouldn't you want to see pictures of the locals doing the cool activities? Wouldn't that be useful to you?
So, we went and sat on a patio. Now, if you've ever spent a sunny afternoon drinking a beer in Gastown, Vancouver, it's likely you spent it on this patio. It's huge, covered in brick and brilliantly placed on the north side of the intersection for maximum sun exposure. (Being in the northern hemisphere, this is the only way.)
Yes, we should have been in the office working on Oistr but once in a while you have to take an afternoon off and go for a walk. Enjoy the sun. Then, go back to the office and struggle to cross everything off your to do list. Maybe take a nap. But, at 8pm when you're still working, you can feel proud of what you've accomplished - maybe.
Back to the idea of being a tourist in your own town, I decided to climb up on a statue of Gassy Jack. Legend has it when Vancouver was nothing but a small collection of miners and fishermen, Gassy Jack said, "If you build me a bar, I will serve you the liquor."
Unsurprisingly, the bar was put up in a day.
Gastown is a very historic area of our great city of Vancouver and I have never once explored it. There are bus and walking tours, plaques all over the place and a lot of history. I've never looked for any of it.
That made me think. People go on vacation, take the tours, take pictures of themselves with mascots and statues and monuments, but they never do that in their own city. I think people should more often.
For Oistr we're going to have contests to get people to go do this stuff, learn about their own city and have a good time doing it. Then, as luck would have it, they'll be able to put up their pictures, their thoughts and let other people enjoy them.... Think about it, if you're planning a vacation, wouldn't you want to see pictures of the locals doing the cool activities? Wouldn't that be useful to you?
I think it would.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Amazing Photos from Above
I came across a list of photos from Jason Hawkes with map information for the locations. I took all of the locations and mapped them with Oistr so that they are now browseable by map.
Enjoy! Pass it on! These really are some fantastic photographs. I admire Hawkes skill and eye for composition.
To see the larger map and actually view the photo's full screen, view it at Oistr here.
Looking at things from a different perspective than everyone else is used to is also a difficult thing to do. I guess once you get your head around it, then it isn't too bad but respect is still do to those who think of it in the first place.
Monday, April 27, 2009
New Ventures BC Competition - round 2 here we come
We recently entered the New Ventures BC competition. This competition is for start up companies looking for venture capital to expand and or survive. During the competition you get a mentor and access to seminars and other tools to make the startups in BC better and more competitive.
We like competition.
So we found out today that we made it to round 2. That's roughly the first 50% of the entrants weeded out.
On the scale of eliminated entrants, that is the largest. From the point of view of how well we did, it only places us in the top half of the competition.
It's a positive step forward. It means that the judges may see some value in our idea and we are getting better at explaining our idea to potential VC guys.
The procedure for entering the competition has already helped us improve our presentation skills and the further into the competition we make it the more polished we will have to be.
A voyage of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
We like competition.
So we found out today that we made it to round 2. That's roughly the first 50% of the entrants weeded out.
On the scale of eliminated entrants, that is the largest. From the point of view of how well we did, it only places us in the top half of the competition.
It's a positive step forward. It means that the judges may see some value in our idea and we are getting better at explaining our idea to potential VC guys.
The procedure for entering the competition has already helped us improve our presentation skills and the further into the competition we make it the more polished we will have to be.
A voyage of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
You've got to see these falls!
According to a site I found "If you’re ever in Zimbabwe, don’t miss the chance to take a swim in The Devil’s Pool, a small lagoon, enclosed by rocks, on the edge of one of the biggest, most beautiful waterfalls in the world, Victoria Falls. Set on Livingstone Island, at a height of 103 meters, Devil’s Pool is definitely one of the most surreal locations on Earth."
These falls look absolutely gorgeous, you should check out all the pictures of the guys hanging over the edge to enjoy the view! I am mildly afraid of heights so I wouldn't put myself over the edge if I didn't have someone holding my legs.
When you look at the map and you see where Zimbabwe is in Africa, you know that going there would be a hell of a long trip - but seeing something like this in real life would be worth a bumpy plane ride or two.
These falls look absolutely gorgeous, you should check out all the pictures of the guys hanging over the edge to enjoy the view! I am mildly afraid of heights so I wouldn't put myself over the edge if I didn't have someone holding my legs.
When you look at the map and you see where Zimbabwe is in Africa, you know that going there would be a hell of a long trip - but seeing something like this in real life would be worth a bumpy plane ride or two.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Contest Starts Soon
I'm working on an outline for a series of contests that will hopefully do a good job of inspiring people to put really good content on our map.
Oistr is designed for showing off locations on a map, and the contest will rate the popularity of locations that people submit. One of the upcoming is "Summer Nightspots".
Where's the best place in your city or, in general your favorite place to have an evening beverage. Is it the beach around a bonfire with friends, or is it a quiet patio at a restaurant with a nice view? Either way every entry on the map will allow users to find that spot if they choose.
I personally don't have any idea what the best beaches for a fire are around my own city, and I'd really appreciate it if I can monitor this contest and find these great places.
Other upcoming contests will include your favorite winter activity and where it happens - is it snowboarding on a mountain or sledding in a nearby park? The pictures are going to be rated on popularity so users will be looking at how much fun it looks like it is, how many people are there and how interesting the activity is to them.
Prizes will be awarded and a year end prize will be given out for first annual "most popular submissions" contest.
I'm really excited about this and can't wait for it to start in June. Please stay tuned and spread your knowledge for a chance to win great prizes!
Oistr is designed for showing off locations on a map, and the contest will rate the popularity of locations that people submit. One of the upcoming is "Summer Nightspots".
Where's the best place in your city or, in general your favorite place to have an evening beverage. Is it the beach around a bonfire with friends, or is it a quiet patio at a restaurant with a nice view? Either way every entry on the map will allow users to find that spot if they choose.
I personally don't have any idea what the best beaches for a fire are around my own city, and I'd really appreciate it if I can monitor this contest and find these great places.
Other upcoming contests will include your favorite winter activity and where it happens - is it snowboarding on a mountain or sledding in a nearby park? The pictures are going to be rated on popularity so users will be looking at how much fun it looks like it is, how many people are there and how interesting the activity is to them.
Prizes will be awarded and a year end prize will be given out for first annual "most popular submissions" contest.
I'm really excited about this and can't wait for it to start in June. Please stay tuned and spread your knowledge for a chance to win great prizes!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Hey, maybe twitter is useful. I created a twitter account for Oistr and I didn't even post. Between yesterday and today it translated to 3 tweets and 90 hits on the site as of 3.45pm, so a little less than 24 hours. That doesn't include any hits from yesterday evening.
I'm still struggling to figure it out. When I first looked at twitter I thought "140 characters, are you kidding me? Who can write anything worthwhile that short?"
Then I heard a great quote, I think it was Mark Twain, "I'm sorry I wrote you such a long letter, I didn't have time to write you a short one."
I turns out that writing in a very small amount of space and conveying meaning is very hard. Since then I've had so many emails that I've cut down and added more ideas to without making them longer - and I hope people appreciate that. More information, less reading. less reading, less time spent on this and more time for something else.
So, I'll be twittering. www.twitter.com/oistr, check it out, I need all the followers I can get.
I'm still struggling to figure it out. When I first looked at twitter I thought "140 characters, are you kidding me? Who can write anything worthwhile that short?"
Then I heard a great quote, I think it was Mark Twain, "I'm sorry I wrote you such a long letter, I didn't have time to write you a short one."
I turns out that writing in a very small amount of space and conveying meaning is very hard. Since then I've had so many emails that I've cut down and added more ideas to without making them longer - and I hope people appreciate that. More information, less reading. less reading, less time spent on this and more time for something else.
So, I'll be twittering. www.twitter.com/oistr, check it out, I need all the followers I can get.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Weird Hotel You Have To See
I found a list of hotels today that are probably the coolest in the world. Some are simple, some are incredibly complex and expensive - but they are all extremely unique.
The first is an Ice Hotel, built every winter in Sweden. There are hot and cold rooms, the website has tips on sleeping comfortably in -5 Celcius and they even have an ice garage for your car.
I hope the ridiculous Ice Hotel in the James Bond movie didn't ruin this places reputation because it looks fantastic.
I can imagine snuggling up to a sweetheart under the furs on a bed. It would be very romantic - but probably not nice for a long term stay.
The first is an Ice Hotel, built every winter in Sweden. There are hot and cold rooms, the website has tips on sleeping comfortably in -5 Celcius and they even have an ice garage for your car.
I hope the ridiculous Ice Hotel in the James Bond movie didn't ruin this places reputation because it looks fantastic.
I can imagine snuggling up to a sweetheart under the furs on a bed. It would be very romantic - but probably not nice for a long term stay.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Does Anyone Care?
I came across a marketing 2.0 posting today on blogs. They said, "don't talk about your company because no one cares".
I tried to think about the types of blogs I read. Do I read company blogs? Once in a while. Google has some interesting things in their blog. I like that they have ground breaking technology some times, and other times the social impact of new tech.
Well, we have some groundbreaking technology. Our interface is a completely different way of shopping for travel. It's more like a video game then Expedia or Travelocity. We call it "Visual Travel".
Maybe in my blog I've been writing about the wrong things. I should probably focus on how great our site is - and how it can affect your life.
My last posting talked about using "trips" on our site to be useful. Now, that's relevant isn't it? That's saying hey, here's something you didn't think of that our site can do that you might appreciate.
We are still working on some bugs in the system but it's coming along nicely, it is a great tool for a lot of things and we're going to make it great.
I tried to think about the types of blogs I read. Do I read company blogs? Once in a while. Google has some interesting things in their blog. I like that they have ground breaking technology some times, and other times the social impact of new tech.
Well, we have some groundbreaking technology. Our interface is a completely different way of shopping for travel. It's more like a video game then Expedia or Travelocity. We call it "Visual Travel".
Maybe in my blog I've been writing about the wrong things. I should probably focus on how great our site is - and how it can affect your life.
My last posting talked about using "trips" on our site to be useful. Now, that's relevant isn't it? That's saying hey, here's something you didn't think of that our site can do that you might appreciate.
We are still working on some bugs in the system but it's coming along nicely, it is a great tool for a lot of things and we're going to make it great.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
A Useful Feature: Trips
Ok, here's an example of a great use of Oistr. I'm working in my office. My stomach growls. Where am I going to go for lunch? Ah, I did McDonalds yesterday and Ricky's the day before, I want to go somewhere I haven't been in a while. Somewhere I know.
Luckily, as I've found restaurants or bars that I enjoy for lunch in my neighborhood, I've added them to a trip on Oistr. That's the screen shot above.
The trip is open so anyone can add to it, play with it, or whatever, here. If you live or work in the neighborhood, please contribute.
So now I can browse the map and immediatley weigh my options based on how far away they are from me. I find it very useful. When I find a new restaurant I snap a couple pictures with my camera phone, throw them up on Oistr and call it a day.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Pictures And Privacy
I had a friend today and she asked me about privacy. We've seen plenty of news articles about Google getting in trouble over street view. I think Google is already blurring people's faces but there are still many complaints about pictures of private property. Some people are saying that they're afraid of burglars or terrorists getting information from street view to plan attacks or burglaries.
Of course, everyone is afraid of terrorists - all the time, brought to you by the terrorist channel. Side note - terrorists actually did use google maps to attack troops in Iraq.
As Oistr uses maps and lets people put pictures on the map, this friend was saying are you worried about these issues?
I had three responses.
One, we didn't capture the map images, Yahoo did and they're freely accessible on yahoo.com.
Two, we don't take the pictures ourselves and we let people report pins that they find offensive and want taken down. How are we going to know if someone is bothered by something unless they tells us?
Three, though not quite the same thing we're protected as a common carrier. In the states especially it's like suing AT&T because someone phoned up your wife and told her you were sleeping around. We're just providing a service that is meant to be used for good, but like many other things in the world (I can think of cars for vehicular homicide and fire for burning down buildings) could be used for evil.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Big Bus Stops
We are currently working on a url embed function that we want to use to partner with Big Bus Tours here in Vancouver.
The embed is very easy to find - a part of making our site as smooth as possible to share with others. On the site every pin and group of pins has a share option that lets you copy the direct URL for hyperlinks or you can insert the embed code into blogs or web pages and you'll see the map as you do above.
The implication for tour companies is vast - make your own list of pins or add material and then display it quickly and easily on your own site.
The implication for bloggers is that now they can show people exactly where they've been and let their readers browse pictures and blog entries on the map, in their blog!
Espcially for bloggers I know that readers often don't understand the scale of the travelling they've done, for instance the distance it is to travel from London to Barcelona is vast at 927 miles (or just under 1600 kms) and Oistr lets you show that distance with an interactive map.
I hope you guys check it out, the help videos can be found here.
The embed is very easy to find - a part of making our site as smooth as possible to share with others. On the site every pin and group of pins has a share option that lets you copy the direct URL for hyperlinks or you can insert the embed code into blogs or web pages and you'll see the map as you do above.
The implication for tour companies is vast - make your own list of pins or add material and then display it quickly and easily on your own site.
The implication for bloggers is that now they can show people exactly where they've been and let their readers browse pictures and blog entries on the map, in their blog!
Espcially for bloggers I know that readers often don't understand the scale of the travelling they've done, for instance the distance it is to travel from London to Barcelona is vast at 927 miles (or just under 1600 kms) and Oistr lets you show that distance with an interactive map.
I hope you guys check it out, the help videos can be found here.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
My Favorite Hotel Location Today
This is the Hyatt Regency Churchill London.
This hotel is where I would like to stay in London when I go there next. Of course, I don't think I can afford a 5 star hotel but here's dreaming.
As long as I'm dreaming, I'll think of swimming in the massive pool, relaxing in the hot tub, and of course enjoying the vacation that invariably goes with it all. Getting away from work - isn't that what we all dream of?
This hotel is where I would like to stay in London when I go there next. Of course, I don't think I can afford a 5 star hotel but here's dreaming.
As long as I'm dreaming, I'll think of swimming in the massive pool, relaxing in the hot tub, and of course enjoying the vacation that invariably goes with it all. Getting away from work - isn't that what we all dream of?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Alaska Trip, Snowball Fights, Glaciers, Swimming
So I've never uploaded photos from any of my trips. But, being as how I believe it to be a very useful thing and I now help operate a website specifically designed for such a task I thought I might try it out.
Luckily in September of 2007 I visited Alaska.
I was cold most of the time, not just regular cold but that I'm damp and I can't get dry kind of cold.
I got seasick. I threw myself at the side of the boat so as not to puke inside so hard one time, coupled with the 5 foot swells, I almost went into the ocean where I surely would have drowned.
I almost fell off a cliff that I was climbing.
I almost slipped on a glacier and plunged 500 feet down the worlds most deadly type of sledhill, you know, the one that is entirely hard unforgiving ice and has jagged rocks at the bottom.
And for all that, it was probably the coolest trip I've taken, ever.
I met a girl there, yes, in Alaska that I went on to have first semi-long distance relationship with, then moved in with.
I hiked up that glacier, and took part in a snowball fight on it.
I did not swim in the ocean like some of the people I was with.
I got drunk off of rum and coke cooled by glacier ice I carved off myself.
We saw some of the most stunning scenery this world has to offer.
It was great spending time with a couple of Germans and two Italians that were experienced sailors and really wanted to see the world.
It's hard to describe the feeling of being out on the water for 2 weeks, touching land here and there but spending most of your time on the boat socializing and watching the scenery. Spending every night playing some cards or just talking about what to do next. Hiking on the trails in a park, or making our own trails and climbing part of a mountain. The entire experience was fantastic back to nature, amazing camaraderie and the freshest air I've ever had.
The whole trip from Juneau up into Glacier bay is here. These pictures are courtesy of Thomas Seidel and Christian Heger, both of Germany and smarter than I was to bring high quality waterproof cameras that shoot video.
I encourage everyone to go have a look and enjoy the pictures and video. Also to Lucio, Luca, Thomas, Christian and Chris, thanks for the memories.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Developers Tab/Iframe For Showing Travel Experiences
Ok, this week we're going to be launching a site every travel blogger is going to love.
A fully functional interactive map system that is far more robust and holds a lot more information than current solutions.
Basically, it's going to be Oistr encompassed in a blog.
Blogger is great, in the pursuit of ultimate flexibility and customization you have access to the actual HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) where you can insert all sorts of awesome things to make your page better.
We're going to provide a tutorial and the ability for any blogger who would like to show their pictures and video on a map (and post it in the public domain for the rest of the world to see - and even better, link back to the blog) that is interactive and intelligent. It will show people exactly where the bloggers content from a single city or the entire world.
It works like this: You go to www.oistr.com where you create an account and upload your photo's or embed the Youtube videos. Once they're up you place them on the map in groups called "trips" where they took place by hand (moving the map around to the location and clicking on the exact location) , by lat/long (if you have GPS) or by address.
Next, you add the code for embedding the trip in your site. You can even add the individual trips to a master trip so you can show everywhere you've been in the world or just the latest stops.
Voila, a fully interactive map that allows users to finally get the full scope of where you've actually been whether it's 500 miles between cities or 32,000 across a continent.
Please go, enjoy!
A fully functional interactive map system that is far more robust and holds a lot more information than current solutions.
Basically, it's going to be Oistr encompassed in a blog.
Blogger is great, in the pursuit of ultimate flexibility and customization you have access to the actual HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) where you can insert all sorts of awesome things to make your page better.
We're going to provide a tutorial and the ability for any blogger who would like to show their pictures and video on a map (and post it in the public domain for the rest of the world to see - and even better, link back to the blog) that is interactive and intelligent. It will show people exactly where the bloggers content from a single city or the entire world.
It works like this: You go to www.oistr.com where you create an account and upload your photo's or embed the Youtube videos. Once they're up you place them on the map in groups called "trips" where they took place by hand (moving the map around to the location and clicking on the exact location) , by lat/long (if you have GPS) or by address.
Next, you add the code for embedding the trip in your site. You can even add the individual trips to a master trip so you can show everywhere you've been in the world or just the latest stops.
Voila, a fully interactive map that allows users to finally get the full scope of where you've actually been whether it's 500 miles between cities or 32,000 across a continent.
Please go, enjoy!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Mounting a Projector, How Hard Could It Be?
Ok, this seems off topic, but it actually isn't at all.
This is about small business. We bought the projector, even bought the proper screen and telescoping ceiling mount for it.
Do we want to spend the extra $250 to have it properly installed? Pfft, no.
Projector, $900, screen, $225, mount off ebay, $75, blood sweat and tears during installation? Priceless. Ok, I was being dramatic there were no blood or tears - but lots of sweat.
The screen goes up fairly easy. We are in a very old building that has concrete ceilings and standard office type foam panels above our heads. These panels are held up by wires that run into the cement so it wasn't difficult to tie more wire to a couple of these anchors and dangle the screen down.
Well, we can't get around it this time. The projector mount has to be carefully positioned and there are no existing anchors to bolt it to. That's it, we have to put holes in the concrete. How hard can that be?
Well, the holes weren't a problem. Any idiot can mark the spots and start drilling. I didn't know I needed special bits and an impact drill, but I found out quite quickly. This is code for "hilarity ensues".
Skipping along, with the proper equipment I go ahead and sink the holes effortlessly. As concrete showers my clothing and hair in a fine dust that a only requires a couple showers to get out, the impact drill goes into the concrete like butter.
Next, my first experience with concrete anchors. Things that look like nails only the heads are flared and have a hollow tube designed to be pushed over the flare to widen and pull tight have been provided.
Seems simple enough. But wait, this drill bit seems a bit small and this one is clearly too big, well, I guess I'll just have to lightly hammer it in. No, that didn't work.
Now I've got a stud that is jammed hopelessy in the hole, won't come out (good job, anchor!) and is in the way of the mount. Well, I'll just rotate the mount and try again.
Drill, drill, drill (more fine concrete in the hair and clothes). Tap, tap, Strike two. Two very solid metal anchors sticking out of the concrete.
Rotate the mount again. Two out of four are broken. If I don't get it right now I'm in a bit of trouble.
Drill, drill. Tap, tap. Wow, I managed to not completely screw it up. Only 50%.
Cut a hole in the ceiling tile and shebang! Professional job.
No ladders or drills were harmed during the making of this episode. My head and my ego however...
This is about small business. We bought the projector, even bought the proper screen and telescoping ceiling mount for it.
Do we want to spend the extra $250 to have it properly installed? Pfft, no.
Projector, $900, screen, $225, mount off ebay, $75, blood sweat and tears during installation? Priceless. Ok, I was being dramatic there were no blood or tears - but lots of sweat.
The screen goes up fairly easy. We are in a very old building that has concrete ceilings and standard office type foam panels above our heads. These panels are held up by wires that run into the cement so it wasn't difficult to tie more wire to a couple of these anchors and dangle the screen down.
Well, we can't get around it this time. The projector mount has to be carefully positioned and there are no existing anchors to bolt it to. That's it, we have to put holes in the concrete. How hard can that be?
Well, the holes weren't a problem. Any idiot can mark the spots and start drilling. I didn't know I needed special bits and an impact drill, but I found out quite quickly. This is code for "hilarity ensues".
Skipping along, with the proper equipment I go ahead and sink the holes effortlessly. As concrete showers my clothing and hair in a fine dust that a only requires a couple showers to get out, the impact drill goes into the concrete like butter.
Next, my first experience with concrete anchors. Things that look like nails only the heads are flared and have a hollow tube designed to be pushed over the flare to widen and pull tight have been provided.
Seems simple enough. But wait, this drill bit seems a bit small and this one is clearly too big, well, I guess I'll just have to lightly hammer it in. No, that didn't work.
Now I've got a stud that is jammed hopelessy in the hole, won't come out (good job, anchor!) and is in the way of the mount. Well, I'll just rotate the mount and try again.
Drill, drill, drill (more fine concrete in the hair and clothes). Tap, tap, Strike two. Two very solid metal anchors sticking out of the concrete.
Rotate the mount again. Two out of four are broken. If I don't get it right now I'm in a bit of trouble.
Drill, drill. Tap, tap. Wow, I managed to not completely screw it up. Only 50%.
Cut a hole in the ceiling tile and shebang! Professional job.
No ladders or drills were harmed during the making of this episode. My head and my ego however...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Intro To Web Marketing for Small Business
With the economic downturn, every business is going to be tightening their belts.
Usually, one of the first things to get cut back is marketing. Studies done in the past have actually shown that companies that are able to maintain advertising during an economic downturn see the benefits for years after.
So the question is: How do you get the same advertising presence without spending as much money?
I like to answer the question with a question: How many times have you found a website that you didn't even know that you needed until you'd found it?
You did this by surfing around reading blogs, news stories or through random results from a search engine. This means that the more times a website is mentioned in blogs or news stories or comes up in search engines the more likely it is that it will be found. Part of the visibility in the search engines comes from how many times it has been mentioned on the web.
One of the best way of getting your business mentioned on the web is by using as many of the free web directories as possible. Obviously, the more popular and the more content that you are able to put up the better.
For travel, there is our website www.oistr.com. You've seen a lot of businesses put a map to their location on their website. We're kind of like that map, only on steroids.
Oistr is the only listing service that is searched on a map instead of through traditional text. It's tourism focussed so if you have a business that sells anything to anyone who ever travels, it may help.
There are lots of other directories and I urge every small business to go get on as many as possible. At the same time, blog, link to your site and try to get more attention wherever possible on the web.
That's what I'm doing, good luck.
Usually, one of the first things to get cut back is marketing. Studies done in the past have actually shown that companies that are able to maintain advertising during an economic downturn see the benefits for years after.
So the question is: How do you get the same advertising presence without spending as much money?
I like to answer the question with a question: How many times have you found a website that you didn't even know that you needed until you'd found it?
You did this by surfing around reading blogs, news stories or through random results from a search engine. This means that the more times a website is mentioned in blogs or news stories or comes up in search engines the more likely it is that it will be found. Part of the visibility in the search engines comes from how many times it has been mentioned on the web.
One of the best way of getting your business mentioned on the web is by using as many of the free web directories as possible. Obviously, the more popular and the more content that you are able to put up the better.
For travel, there is our website www.oistr.com. You've seen a lot of businesses put a map to their location on their website. We're kind of like that map, only on steroids.
Oistr is the only listing service that is searched on a map instead of through traditional text. It's tourism focussed so if you have a business that sells anything to anyone who ever travels, it may help.
There are lots of other directories and I urge every small business to go get on as many as possible. At the same time, blog, link to your site and try to get more attention wherever possible on the web.
That's what I'm doing, good luck.
Friday, February 13, 2009
New Features! Site Grows! Exclamation Mark!
Wow, we are growing fast, our programmer hasn't been leaving the office.
New features! First, browse public trips that other people have added. You can see the list of newly added trips, sort through them and then look at whatever regions of the world you'd like to see more of.
Improved search feature, no when there's 600 pins on a search list you actually have the alphabet to sort through them by - very nice improvement.
Add pins to trips! This is huge. Ok, say you've put together a collection of pins but someone has already added the hotel you stayed at, now you can select it and add it to as many different collections as you want.
For photographer groups, this means that you can add the pins from other people in the group all into one big collaboration of talent. Users viewing the new trip will see a map of the world with pins from each location represented.
This is the key to inspiring people with good photography and putting up your favorite images of the world. Go, contribute, explore, enjoy!
I feel like one of those jack russell terriers jumping up and down! I kinda look like it right now! It's hard to type! Lot's of typos I have to fix! Good times!
New features! First, browse public trips that other people have added. You can see the list of newly added trips, sort through them and then look at whatever regions of the world you'd like to see more of.
Improved search feature, no when there's 600 pins on a search list you actually have the alphabet to sort through them by - very nice improvement.
Add pins to trips! This is huge. Ok, say you've put together a collection of pins but someone has already added the hotel you stayed at, now you can select it and add it to as many different collections as you want.
For photographer groups, this means that you can add the pins from other people in the group all into one big collaboration of talent. Users viewing the new trip will see a map of the world with pins from each location represented.
This is the key to inspiring people with good photography and putting up your favorite images of the world. Go, contribute, explore, enjoy!
I feel like one of those jack russell terriers jumping up and down! I kinda look like it right now! It's hard to type! Lot's of typos I have to fix! Good times!
Monday, February 9, 2009
SEO and Link Building
You think I blog for fun? Huh? Do ya? Well, yes, actually I do a little.
I like getting thoughts down on things that excite me (don't think this makes me boring, I do plenty of interesting things off the web) and sometimes it really gives me the chance to think things through.
The number one reason I blog though is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The more times people link to your blog or the more times it is read, the better off your linked to website does in the search engines.
Nearly every blog entry I link to my website, www.oistr.com. The search engines read these links and rate my site higher because of the number of sites that link to it. When Facebook RSS feeds this blog posting into my Oistr company page the search engines eventually read a couple more hits.
The more times your website is listed on the net or linked to or from, whether it's blogs, business directories or your Facebook group page, you will gain attention from the search engines.
So there you go, turn a hobby into a business development tool! Most people don't even realize how great blogging can be for that. It takes a significant time investment but I think the benefits outweigh the time spent...
I like getting thoughts down on things that excite me (don't think this makes me boring, I do plenty of interesting things off the web) and sometimes it really gives me the chance to think things through.
The number one reason I blog though is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The more times people link to your blog or the more times it is read, the better off your linked to website does in the search engines.
Nearly every blog entry I link to my website, www.oistr.com. The search engines read these links and rate my site higher because of the number of sites that link to it. When Facebook RSS feeds this blog posting into my Oistr company page the search engines eventually read a couple more hits.
The more times your website is listed on the net or linked to or from, whether it's blogs, business directories or your Facebook group page, you will gain attention from the search engines.
So there you go, turn a hobby into a business development tool! Most people don't even realize how great blogging can be for that. It takes a significant time investment but I think the benefits outweigh the time spent...
Friday, February 6, 2009
Business Cards, Social Networking
Would you believe that we only got business cards today? We found a great printer in our neighborhood named Print Time that did an excellent job. (In fact, there was an issue with how our chosen font printed on his equipment and he was great enough to not only proof it but ask us to come down and figure it out because it wasn't up to his quality standards - that is good service.)
The card looks good eh?
So, now we have cards. What do people need business cards for? I forsook business cards a long time ago in favour of making my website as easily findable on the web as possible. I thought, surely with Google no one will ever have problems finding us if we're memorable enough.
Well, that was kinda dumb. You meet so many people in passing that if you don't give them a card, they don't find it in their pocket later at home while digging for keys or mints, and they never look you up. By the time they remember that they met a guy that had a business, your name, face and location are lost to the winds of time, tiny grains of sand that were scattered amongst a billion others never again to have any recognizable pattern.
(That metaphor was a bit excessive, but if you've studied how human memory works you'll see what I mean.)
So, business cards. I was at Toastmasters the other night which is a club for people who want to learn public speaking and practice it in a formal setting. In this meeting the tables are set up in a long U and the member sit around. As I was making my speech about my business moving around at the front I realized how easy it would be to deal the cards like playing cards along the tables. My speech was excellent and I know everyone would have taken them home.
I'll do that next time. That is just one example of how great cards are.
Social networking, striking up a conversation on a bus, hitting on the counter girl at Starbucks, whatever, business cards are the way to be.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Launched 1.0! Version 1! Lanched! Party!
The last week has seen many improvements on our site www.oistr.com where our programmer has been working his guts out day and night. I don't know why his girlfriend is still with him, he spends all his time in the office.
But as in the classic saying one mans loss (or woman) is another mans gain. That would be his other partners, including me.
Now I just have to get people actually seeing and using the site. Oh, the easy job, right?
The site is designed to be a social network for travelers to show where they've been, make recommendations and gain inspiration to get out into the world.
We have a long way to go on this site but we've been working on it for close to two years and it is incredibly exciting to have it out there now.
But as in the classic saying one mans loss (or woman) is another mans gain. That would be his other partners, including me.
Now I just have to get people actually seeing and using the site. Oh, the easy job, right?
The site is designed to be a social network for travelers to show where they've been, make recommendations and gain inspiration to get out into the world.
We have a long way to go on this site but we've been working on it for close to two years and it is incredibly exciting to have it out there now.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Squashing Bugs
For most people, squashing bugs doesn't happen very often. In fact, software bugs that I'm talking about are squashed even less often than insects.
When you're developing a complicated website that is not just traditional HTML you end up with bugs. Bugs are hiccups in the programming where something just doesn't work quite right. Most are solid and can be tracked down depending on the complexity of the software, but some are not. They may be intermittent or in a very complex section where it's very difficult to track down.
This is where we are right now in the development of Oistr.com. Due to the complexity of the flash interface these bugs keep cropping up, sometimes in the use of new features and sometimes the new features have an affect on the current features.
They're called bugs for a reason, like cockroaches they keep cropping up, sometimes totally unexpected and are very difficult to chase down. Sometimes you can even kill one and spawn two more.
Imagine how difficult it would be to deal with this situation. Our software developer Sean has done an unimaginably difficult job and it seems like it's only the beginning.
In Vancouver if you ever run over the Lions Gate bridge from downtown there are moments when it seems that the medium incline is never going to end, that it will only go on forever. Luckily with hills this isn't the case. With bug-squashing it usually is.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Someone Uses Oistr To Show the True DTES
For everyone not from Vancouver, BC the DownTown East Side (DTES) is the slum of Vancouver.
A recent UN report on urban density profiled five cities including Vancouver with urban areas "providing unique examples of urban development." The report has a major focus on city planning for the poor in order to maintain basic human rights - Vancouver was chosen for a reason.
The famous DTES shocks tourists every day. Not too long ago, we had 3 cruise ships show up at once to our port delivering 6000 unwary tourists into the area. With not nearly enough cabs in the entire city to transport all of these people, some hardy souls struck out on their own.
It wasn't long until they came to the real life version of Night of the Living Dead. (It actually looks like that, our office is in the middle of it and when we work late it sounds like it too.) This was embarrassing.
Well, our site is supposed to give people the truth about a city as posted by users. Think TripAdvisor with more pictures and a wider focus. Now someone is using it for just that.
No one wants to see pictures of people shooting up or the graphic video of someone protesting the 2010 olympics. This picture of a guy handing out needles is, for me, particularly a bad representation of the area.
Our position is that it doesn't violate our terms of use so it stays up. I'm sure that there are millions of pictures of people having a good time around Vancouver and that those will cover these few bad ones in an avalanche of "feel good".
Even then, this is why the map-based user contributed tourist site is the future. When you're browsing around Vancouver you'll know where not to go.
A recent UN report on urban density profiled five cities including Vancouver with urban areas "providing unique examples of urban development." The report has a major focus on city planning for the poor in order to maintain basic human rights - Vancouver was chosen for a reason.
The famous DTES shocks tourists every day. Not too long ago, we had 3 cruise ships show up at once to our port delivering 6000 unwary tourists into the area. With not nearly enough cabs in the entire city to transport all of these people, some hardy souls struck out on their own.
It wasn't long until they came to the real life version of Night of the Living Dead. (It actually looks like that, our office is in the middle of it and when we work late it sounds like it too.) This was embarrassing.
Well, our site is supposed to give people the truth about a city as posted by users. Think TripAdvisor with more pictures and a wider focus. Now someone is using it for just that.
No one wants to see pictures of people shooting up or the graphic video of someone protesting the 2010 olympics. This picture of a guy handing out needles is, for me, particularly a bad representation of the area.
Our position is that it doesn't violate our terms of use so it stays up. I'm sure that there are millions of pictures of people having a good time around Vancouver and that those will cover these few bad ones in an avalanche of "feel good".
Even then, this is why the map-based user contributed tourist site is the future. When you're browsing around Vancouver you'll know where not to go.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
TripAdvisor Leaves People More Confused
I just read a fantastic article about TripAdvisor where the writer pointed out some things that should have been immediately obvious, and lets a couple of obvious things go unsaid.
He points out first of all that TripAdvisors motto "Get the truth, then go" is far more simplistic than it should be.
The number of posted reviews, over 20 million (unqualified) can't be regarded as the truth. First, they're just opinions. Second, people are more likely to post bad reviews so in a mathematical universe they should heavily outweigh positive reviews. Third, when a review is filled with marketing buzz phrases including such as "meal portions were not excessive, which is great in the tropics" then you're probably being duped. (If you haven't heard of the Belkin pay for good reviews scam, have a look.)
TripAdvisor was a good idea but it doesn't work in practice. Like communism. How can we make it more honest and useful?
That is a very hard question to answer. One of our ideas is giving the users the ability to post their own pictures and video as reviews and then encouraging them to do so. There may be issues with pictures of staff for example but that is a giant legal quagmire we shall be entering shortly.
A company called Tripr.tv had an idea where users submit videos of themselves reviewing the hotels they stay in and then uploading them, and if a user books that hotel they get a cut of the commission which has the inherent problem of users only submitting good reveiws, why would they bother with bad ones?
It will be interesting to see how our site develops in comparison to these others.
He points out first of all that TripAdvisors motto "Get the truth, then go" is far more simplistic than it should be.
The number of posted reviews, over 20 million (unqualified) can't be regarded as the truth. First, they're just opinions. Second, people are more likely to post bad reviews so in a mathematical universe they should heavily outweigh positive reviews. Third, when a review is filled with marketing buzz phrases including such as "meal portions were not excessive, which is great in the tropics" then you're probably being duped. (If you haven't heard of the Belkin pay for good reviews scam, have a look.)
TripAdvisor was a good idea but it doesn't work in practice. Like communism. How can we make it more honest and useful?
That is a very hard question to answer. One of our ideas is giving the users the ability to post their own pictures and video as reviews and then encouraging them to do so. There may be issues with pictures of staff for example but that is a giant legal quagmire we shall be entering shortly.
A company called Tripr.tv had an idea where users submit videos of themselves reviewing the hotels they stay in and then uploading them, and if a user books that hotel they get a cut of the commission which has the inherent problem of users only submitting good reveiws, why would they bother with bad ones?
It will be interesting to see how our site develops in comparison to these others.
Friday, January 16, 2009
My Favorite Hotel Location Today
If I ever pass by Memphis and want to see what it's like to live like royalty, I'll stay at the Peabody hotel.
Anyone interested in beautiful heritage buildings has to look at this link.
And prices starting at $267 per night will keep out the riff raff...
Anyone interested in beautiful heritage buildings has to look at this link.
And prices starting at $267 per night will keep out the riff raff...
My Favorite Hotel Location Today
This is where I'm going for vacation.
The Hyatt in Honolulu is reasonably priced, has 3386 rooms and a gorgeous view of Mamala Bay.
Ok, I sound just a little too much like an advertisement but you can be sure that they didn't pay me. (My friends can attest to that.) But the white sandy beaches right in the middle of one of the biggest cities in Hawaii with all of the touristy (wallet gouging) shops, restaurants and everything else you could ever want are within walking distance.
Especially at the end of the week, Friday afternoon, the idea of learning how to surf, swimming in the warm water while my shoulders and neck kind of ache from sitting in front of these monitors all day is mind blowing.
With the link above, if you zoom in and use the map hybrid function you'll get a better idea of what I mean.
I can't wait to go on vacation.
The Hyatt in Honolulu is reasonably priced, has 3386 rooms and a gorgeous view of Mamala Bay.
Ok, I sound just a little too much like an advertisement but you can be sure that they didn't pay me. (My friends can attest to that.) But the white sandy beaches right in the middle of one of the biggest cities in Hawaii with all of the touristy (wallet gouging) shops, restaurants and everything else you could ever want are within walking distance.
Especially at the end of the week, Friday afternoon, the idea of learning how to surf, swimming in the warm water while my shoulders and neck kind of ache from sitting in front of these monitors all day is mind blowing.
With the link above, if you zoom in and use the map hybrid function you'll get a better idea of what I mean.
I can't wait to go on vacation.
OpenTable for Restaurant Reservations
If you're not familiar with our new travel site oistr yet, the labour of my life for the last year or so (and our programmer Sean Hudson especially) it is a map-based travel community set to launch soon. It is designed to bring businesses and travellers together, and inspire travellers to keep travelling.
We've formed a partnership with a company called OpenTable that will proived restaurant listings online reservations.
They have over 10,000 restaurants world wide with most of them in North America. This is going to be really great content for oistr because the restaurants not only slot right into the site but you can actually book them online through OpenTable.
We're investigating partnerships with as many companies as possible like OpenTable and Travelocity to give us the business content that we need for our site. Mutually beneficial partnerships are the way to go for a small business like ours.
Martiniboys is another company we are partnering with for content. Although Martiniboys won't offer booking they'll have the up-to-date nightspots with pictures for us to slot into the system.
The users themselves are going to be the largest source of content. We're envisioning a massive collection of travel experience form people that travel including people who want to nominate places and businesses in their own backyards.
For now though, our modest partnerships are putting a lot of content on the map for our initial launch and we hope that people enjoy the site enough to add their own.
We've formed a partnership with a company called OpenTable that will proived restaurant listings online reservations.
They have over 10,000 restaurants world wide with most of them in North America. This is going to be really great content for oistr because the restaurants not only slot right into the site but you can actually book them online through OpenTable.
We're investigating partnerships with as many companies as possible like OpenTable and Travelocity to give us the business content that we need for our site. Mutually beneficial partnerships are the way to go for a small business like ours.
Martiniboys is another company we are partnering with for content. Although Martiniboys won't offer booking they'll have the up-to-date nightspots with pictures for us to slot into the system.
The users themselves are going to be the largest source of content. We're envisioning a massive collection of travel experience form people that travel including people who want to nominate places and businesses in their own backyards.
For now though, our modest partnerships are putting a lot of content on the map for our initial launch and we hope that people enjoy the site enough to add their own.
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