In+ersec+ion for Spatial People

MapQuest introduced MapQuest Vibe in beta: "Today, we’re launching MapQuest Vibe, which is your shortcut to becoming a local, anywhere.  This early beta cuts through the clutter of ratings, lists and pins on a map, by giving you actual rankings of places based on key criteria within a local neighborhood context. [...] The “local knowledge” is generated with a new patented algorithm called VibeRank.  This blended social-algorithmic formula takes several implicit signals (like searches on MapQuest and cartographic data), creates a baseline ranking and then layers on explicit social signals from the new Vibe pages. Based on this algorithm, MapQuest Vibe profiles more than 50,000 neighborhoods, 27,000 cities and 50,000 hotspots in the U.S., reaching 98 percent of the population."

MapQuest Vibe presents neighborhoods from a different angle than other mapping sites and it's integrated with Facebook. Directions Mag offers a round up of early MapQuest Vibe reviews. In other recent MapQuest news, they now have a map widget for GoDaddy-hosted websites.