>People don't want a "personalized local search engine" because there aren't millions of restaurants and bars around where they're at right now. It's just not t

>People don't want a "personalized local search engine" because there aren't millions of restaurants and bars around where they're at right now. It's just not that big of a problem to find a place to eat and yes, while they do an ok job helping out if you are looking for that, so does Yelp. Hm, I would wager that there is a considerable population of people who would want - and use - a personalized, local search engine, so long as it lived up to its promise. Second, people have preferences. My hunch is that people's criteria for finding a restaurant are more nuanced than simply '[finding] a place to eat', or a place that serves food. They may want to find a place with Thai food that's affordable, or an American restaurant with vegan options that rarely has a wait, or a pizza place open at 11pm within walking distance of the job they're walking home from. Last, there are 26,000 restaurants in New York City. For people living in metropolitan areas, there are many options from which to choose. Fortunate people are not living in survival mode or using apps to seek minimum means of shelter (nod to Maslow and his hierarchy). The drivers in decision-making are more complex and could be a careful balance of any number of factors, such as convenience, speed, cost, acceptance, mood and so on. Add in entertainment, parks, museums, music venues, activities, and so forth - and personalized local search becomes increasingly valuable. If Foursquare can accomplish its goal and distill the signal from the noise, save people time, and allow them to have delightful experiences, then I would want it, and use it. Other people might, too, but I can't speak for them.