Travel guide site Everytrail is taking a step along the road of rewarding creators of its content by launching an revenue scheme when users download guides to their phones.
The site has been gradually building a database of user generated guides ("virtual tour guides") on its website in recent months and is now preparing to push the content to its mobile version on iPhone and Android.
Everytrail says it will charge for the mobile versions of the guides, as they are designed and configured differently from the web versions, but will introduce a payment programme to reward each guide's creator.
The guides are different from the existing trips already in the system (around 300,000, the company says), containing large quantities of content and additional detail for users.
Everytrail says:
"Guides provide an incredible amount of value to travelers. Essential information, a detailed track, and media-rich Points of Interest that are strategically positioned to provide guidance along the route make EveryTrail Guides unique and valuable.
"In fact, we strongly believe that travel content structured as an EveryTrail Guide is significantly more valuable and user-friendly than any other travel guide solution available today, whether traditional print, online or mobile."
Meanwhile, as Everytrail made its announcement today, up popped a statement from travel guide site Ruba, pointing members to the Everytrail reward programme and encouraging them to join.
Ruba was "bought" by Google at the end of May, although the precise reason for the decision and what the Ruba employees will be doing at Mountain View remains unclear.
Nevertheless, Ruba said at the time of the acquisition that it didn't have "a complete schedule for winding the site", so today's statement is intriguing.
The simplest explanation (Ruba CEO Mike Cassidy was contacted earlier but has yet to respond except to remind people via an automated message that he has joined Google and may take some time to reply) is that Ruba is hoping to offer alternative trip planning and guide facilities to its modest number of members ahead of closing the site.