An Amazing Experience with Yellowikis

On one of the many discussion lists I belong to, Regina Thomas recently suggested that everyone on the list (mostly small businesses) go over to Yellowikis.org and set up a listing page for their business. 

Yellowikis is a variation on a yellow pages site.  It uses wiki software — meaning anyone visiting the site can edit it, much like Wikipedia.  And like Wikipedia, it is an all-volunteer, open-source, free project.

I was intrigued when I got the email and so I logged on and started setting up a page for my own business.   Part way through, before the page was done, I got a phone call, then another, and then I had to leave for a meeting.

Imagine my surprise when I got back later and there was an email from Paul Youlten, the founder of Yellowikis.  He said that someone had started setting up a page for my business — and that he had finished it!  Not only had he finished it, but he had tracked down the information on my website to do it.  And he did a beautiful job with the page.

When was the last time someone at one of the commercial Yellow Pages did that?

In a 14 minute interview with Paul Youlten, the founder of Yellowikis [link no longer available] he explains what Yellowikis is all about.  As he notes, a big motivation is to level the playing field and give small businesses a place to be listed online for free.

Also, check out the Web 2.0 Explorer blog’s 3-part series examining the Yellowikis business model (although I’m not sure Yellowikis is trying to establish a business in the traditional sense).