David Weinberger points to buyitlikeyoumeanit. This site aims to aggregate people’s ratings of companies on a variety of measures. You then get to set up your own scoring system based on what matters to you. They’re going to create cellphone access so you can use their service live as you shop.
I don’t know if this particular site will work but the trend it has jumped on feels significant. As I’ve noted before, the best technology (a combination of hardware, software and – crucially – user enthusiasm) is now outside companies, not inside.
