Is RB dead?

Originally posted by Iznogud
The Untappd venue system isn’t perfect, but in my experience it does a pretty good job informing me when one of two Untappd verified venues in my town adds a new beer to their menu (I receive notification on my mobile). And you can actually filter the map or list in mobile app to show you only verified venues (I believe this will probably be added to web version at some point).

Originally posted by chriso

Originally posted by Iznogud
The Untappd venue system isn’t perfect, but in my experience it does a pretty good job informing me when one of two Untappd verified venues in my town adds a new beer to their menu (I receive notification on my mobile). And you can actually filter the map or list in mobile app to show you only verified venues (I believe this will probably be added to web version at some point).

OK, I was trying to find the list of verified venues on the web version so that would explain why I couldn’t get it. I’ve just checked on mobile and there are a grand total of 13 verfied venues in London. Only a few of them would be regarded as beer destinations, albeit not in the top rank. Most of them I only set foot in once in a blue moon. None of the top beer places in London are included. This makes the feature fairly useless here.

I thought I should check the coverage in some other major cities in the UK. But I can’t do that as the distance is limited to 75 miles. So, if I was travelling to a place further away than that I couldn’t use it to scope out what beers were around there in advance.

Originally posted by chriso
OK, I was trying to find the list of verified venues on the web version so that would explain why I couldn’t get it. I’ve just checked on mobile and there are a grand total of 13 verfied venues in London. Only a few of them would be regarded as beer destinations, albeit not in the top rank. Most of them I only set foot in once in a blue moon. None of the top beer places in London are included. This makes the feature fairly useless here.

I thought I should check the coverage in some other major cities in the UK. But I can’t do that as the distance is limited to 75 miles. So, if I was travelling to a place further away than that I couldn’t use it to scope out what beers were around there in advance.

"Is RB dead" has turned into an untappd mass orgy love fest.

I personally don’t like untappd and never use it other than to check the ABV/style of a beer I’m adding into ratebeer.

After 14 pages, I think we can definitely say "no".

Originally posted by SarkyNorthener
"Is RB dead" has turned into an untappd mass orgy love fest.

Originally posted by SarkyNorthener
mass orgy love fest.

Funny, I came here from a site (beerpal) where the same questions were being asked...but there really was a different answer there. Days between posts, most being the same person talking to himself, only a handful of active raters, beers/brewers/pics and other pages on the site not being approved or updated for months, or even years.
Safe to say ratebeer is in much better hands.

Originally posted by Iznogud
I’ve been using untappd and RB for years now on almost daily basis. Each one has its prons and cons, like every other service/app out there I guess.


Actually I don’t think brewers taking over control is that useful - I have a feeling it’s adding to the chaotic state of untappd data. By chaotic in the first place I mean creating separate entries for each year. RB database feels more consistant and accurate, one of the main pros for me.


Also I feel there are more accessible RB top 50 beers than Untappd top 50. I’ve managed to try 13/50 on RB and there is a good chance I’ll try additional 4-5 this year. On Untappd its 2/50 and possible 2-3 more this year.


However there are things Untappd is doing right. I feel re-rating is a big plus providing up to date data about beer which is useful for both brewers and drinkers. It provides overview of beer quality over time, different batches, bars etc. On RB, especially on markets with few users, the beer rating is often based on couple of first batches, or even the very first batch. Also re-rating could neutralise fascination by some beers early in raters "career". There should be a system on RB which would make re-rating as easy as possible.


The other thing which differentiates RB and Untappd is ease of use. With recent changes Untappd actually made the rating process bit more complex (by adding flavour profile, serving style, purchased location), but it’s still easy enough to use since new options are optional and don’t require much time. I believe this has a strong correlation with number of users which is obviously a big + for Untappd. RB needs new users and should make the rating process easier. By this I don’t mean dumbing it down to just ticking (looks like new app is bringing just that) because that would mean losing the one of the main RB pros - reviews providing info about the beer besides numerical rating and what’s even more important making users think about the beer in front of them. IMHO ease of use could be achieved by smart use of cheat sheet/beer rating assistance especially for new users. Yes, it could mean less creative reviews, but in my opinion we can live with that. One can mock Untappd, but adding more room for reviews (not sure why they are still sticking to 150 characters ) and more numerical rating categories could give them the edge over RB.


Gaming element is another thing. Untappd has badges, RB has stats (and awards, but pretty under developed). I have a feeling RB could exploit this more to bring and keep new users.


What seems to me like a big difference is that Untappd found a way to monetize the app which resulted in enough resources to constantly improve the app. I’ve seen them adopt solutions simply suggested via twitter and developer/owner seems very responsive when it comes to new ideas. They found a model where breweries, bars (stepping up as competition for beermenus and taphunter) and users (probably not many due to the pricey subscription) are willing to pay for extra features. Not sure if RB should go along this path.


As mentioned before one thing which makes RB special is the community. Untappd seems more social, but RB is the place where I keep meeting great people and have a feeling I’ll get help no matter which place I’m travelling to.