new & improved search functionality

We’ve been working on many new features and improvements here at OurFaves, and one of the biggest is search. We’ve just launched our new search results which are better organized to let you quickly and easily find just what you’re looking for across the site, whether it be a person, place or thing. And this is just the beginning…we will be adding more features like filtering by category or neighbourhood, and maps of all the places in the near future. In the meantime, give it a whirl and let us know what you think so we can incorporate your feedback into the next round of updates.

OurFaves featured in TechCrunch today!

We are delighted!  And here’s what they had to say…

“Toronto based OurFaves.com seeks to combine city search, social networking, and user-generated content in a one stop destination for a particular city.

City search and profile sites aren’t new. Where OurFaves differs is a focus on user-generated content…”

Read the rest at: http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/14/ourfaves-word-of-mouth-meets-city-search/

Be an OurFaves Summer Intern

Want some hands-on experience in online media? Are you passionate about Web 2.0? Have you ever dreamed of working for a start-up? Do you love going out in the city?

OurFaves is a revolutionary new platform that allows people to share and discover the best of the city (starting with Toronto) according to their friends and the people whose opinions matter to them. OurFaves is a fully-funded start-up that is incubated in Torstar Digital, a leading interactive media company in Canada with high-profile properties like workopolis.com, thestar.com, and toronto.com.

We are looking for summer interns to assist with a variety of projects, including:

• creating great content and getting the word out about OurFaves
• editing local business listing address info and categories
• monitoring site activity and traffic, analyzing reports
• creating e-mail newsletters
• brainstorming marketing ideas
• helping to set up events
• other tasks depending on your skills/areas of interest

These positions are suited to students in media/communications, marketing, or library science who are friendly, social, and know the city’s hot spots.
If you are interested in becoming an intern, please send your resume to careers@ourfaves.com.

Please note, this is an unpaid internship, but a stellar letter of recommendation, the opportunity to work around your own schedule and many fun perks are available.

A little more love in the blogosphere this morning!

We are listed as one of the “8 things worth remembering a new password for” on the Verve’s blog One Five Place. Thanks Verve… We love the Verve’s faves on our site so keep them coming!

Also, Sarah Hood from Unknown Toronto gave us a nice mention in her blog this morning too!

Woohoo! We passed the 400 favers mark!

So to all of you who have been visiting and faving – thank you! We just passed the 400 faver mark (actually today we are at the 409 faver mark). And that is just the people creating profiles and faves, not the people visiting.

We are thrilled to see all the bustling activity on the site, with new faves being created at least every hour or two every day. And your faves rock! The content is amazing! It is great to learn about so many new fave places and things.

We are working hard on continuing to fix issues, build new features and add new content. We love your feedback so please keep it coming, it is driving all of our product development decisions.
One of the more recent features we enabled this week was RSS for people’s faves. This means you can take your faves and your friend’s faves with you wherever you go – your blog / site / rss reader. So please feel free to take em with you and share them with your friends and community.

Happy faving!

Candice

Join the OurFaves Team

We are looking for a Lead Web 2.0 Developer…

Are you an expert coder who thrives on being on the leading edge? Have you ever dreamed of working in a start-up, yet wanted the security of being fully funded? Are you passionate about Web 2.0 and love working in a fast-paced environment?

OurFaves is a revolutionary new platform that allows people to share and discover the best of the city (starting with Toronto) according to their friends and the people whose opinions matter to them. OurFaves is a fully-funded start-up that is incubated in Torstar Digital, a leading interactive media company in Canada with high-profile properties like workopolis.com, thestar.com, and toronto.com.

Recently launched in open beta, OurFaves is receiving great media attention and is experiencing tremendous growth. We are looking for a Lead Web 2.0 Developer to drive the development of new features & functionality as we take our site to the next level and expand across North America.

As a core member of the small start-up team, and reporting to the GM, you would be responsible for leading the technical development of OurFaves. You would initiate new features, architect and implement their solutions. A large part of this role involves integrating with other applications through third-party API’s.

Qualifications:

* BA/BS in Computer Science or equivalent
* 3+ years experience developing interactive, dynamic, data-driven websites (experience with community-based websites a plus)
* In-depth knowledge of object-oriented and service-oriented architecture principles in n-tier architectures
* In-depth knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies and applications (AJAX, RSS, third-party APIs)
* Expert knowledge of C#, C++ / Java, DOM, Javascript, SQL server (or equivalent database technologies)
* Strong knowledge of XML, HTML, CSS, DHTML, server side scripting languages (e.g. ASP, PHP)

If you are interested in this position, please e-mail your resume to careers@ourfaves.com.

Ourfaves first press release… it’s official we are live!

rock-it promotions • media release • hot news in town

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 2nd, 2007

BEST BOWL OF PHO AT THAT LITTLE SPOT THAT LOOKS REAL SHADY?
BEST PATIO FOR CHEAP DRINKS AND A FIRST DATE?
BEST SHOP FOR VINTAGE VINYL AT THE END OF YOUR STREET?

NEED A TRUSTED SUGGESTION, BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK?

ourfaves.com revolutionizes word of mouth with a site that lets
locals sound off on the best of Toronto

Toronto, ON — On Wednesday, May 2nd, ourfaves.com will officially open its online community seeking to amplify local opinion on what’s great in the city. Harnessing the power of city search, social networking, and user-generated content, OurFaves enables local aficionados and passionate urbanites to share and discover Toronto favourites on a city-wide scale. OurFaves is a revolution in word of mouth that promises to connect people with one another, and their community, in a whole new way, both online and off. Toronto is the first to get the fave treatment, but plans are in the works to bring OurFaves to other North American cities in the months to come.

OurFaves was born from the idea that the first place most people turn for tips on the local scene is their trusted sources – friends, local experts, and other city-savvy folks who share their interests and tastes.

The OurFaves platform enables community collaboration on a dynamic, real-time snapshot of the best of the city, according to users. “It’s a fun (and useful) way to share and help others discover hidden gems, neighbourhood haunts, and some stand-out local places that you may not know about even though you could have walked by a place 100 times,” says OurFaves Creator Candice Faktor.

Whether looking to discover a great date spot, an inspired tattoo artist, a unique boutique, or to sound off on the best vegan banana muffins in the east end, OurFaves provides a platform that enables users to contribute and find the content relevant to them, from the popular to the niche, quickly and easily.

Free-form tagging of entries by contributors means fave-related information is captured and shared in an unparalleled way, with an unparalleled level of detail. Any place or thing is ‘fave-able’: a perfect patio for summer drinks, an unbelievable mushroom and arugula salad, or a great place to buy vintage rock t-shirts. The only limit is users’ creativity.

A joint venture start-up, OurFaves was incubated within Torstar Digital, with consulting and technical personnel to develop the .net platform provided by imason Inc. The team is led by Torstar Digital’s Director of Strategy, Candice Faktor. OurFaves represents the response of these two firms to an online media environment which demands innovation and experimentation, and emphasizes web 2.0 applications that highlight collaboration and sharing among end users. Web 2.0 applications (such as facebook and youtube) are the new generation of communities. They represent a shift from one-way information based sites to a user generated, social web that facilitates dialogue between users and harnesses the collective intelligence of a group.

About imason: imason is a Toronto-based technology consulting firm that designs, architects and develops leading-edge web solutions that benefit the employees and customers of large enterprises.

About Torstar Digital: Torstar Digital’s mission is to deliver technology and strategic leadership to its online-only properties, create winning online businesses that can leverage Torstar Corporation’s wealth of media assets and assist in online enabling of Torstar Corporation’s existing portfolio of print businesses.

For more information, or interview requests with creator Candice Faktor, please contact
Debra Goldblatt at rock-it promotions at 416.656.0707 or debra@rockitpromo.com

OurFaves.com article in Media in Canada today

Torstar Digital launches social media venue

by Jesse Kohl

Torstar Digital and Toronto-based imason are officially launching OurFaves.com this week. It’s a social media site that lets Torontonians list and rate their favourite people, places and things in the city.

Read the rest at:

http://www.mediaincanada.com/articles/mic/20070501/faves.html