One of my favourite examples of “hyperlocal” reporting is: http://ts10.gazettelive.co.uk/2008/04/plea_over_redcar_play_area.html

Great example of a story that is of almost no interest outside a 500m radius of its subject, but which is of MAJOR importance to the people who live there.

And look at the comments. Yes, they get a bit “raw” at times, but that is life.

But I also get a real sense that the technology is helping people with shared interests and needs talk to and understand each others’ position.

That hasn’t happened since the days when “everyone left their doors unlocked” and spoke over the garden wall. That is, if those days EVER existed..

But I think the real potential might come in being able to do more than just report problems. What about something more positive?

The house round the corner from me just had a loft extension. I would LOVE to see the result, because I would like to do the same, but I don’t feel comfortable chapping on a stranger’s door.

But what’s the bets the guy is keen to show off what has been created?

And wouldn’t the builder he used love a service that allowed satisfied customers to earn rewards if they took the time to post before/after pics that led to new business from neighbours?

Who is going to create the street-level service that connects all three of us?

I totally agree. It’s the ease of use tied in with a useful application to the technology that makes it so great. If someone is committed enough to take the snap and upload it then they are ignored at your peril. If they will take the time to do that, imagine how much time they would put in to bugging you if you didn’t do anything about it :). Even better though, how much time would they put in to helping you if you got them on side.

Equally interesting to me was the comments which added an interesting take on the relationships in the area. That is gold dust to a journo looking to get deeper in to the communities they serve.

While the photos might seem silly, it is so easy to take a snap with your cell phone — why not? And it is a form of proof. I could write in every day that there is a new painted eyesore on a wall between my house and the bus stop — but a photo proves it is true.

I guess litter and the like are always going to be staples of ‘local’ coverage and the web is not going to make them any less frustrating to cover :)

What I liked about the fixmystreet stuff was that the little bit of extra info they allow means that you get more of the tone and the agenda. Something that is often missing from the info heavy web.

I thought that was crappy assignment, had to interview a council man, who promptly used the issue to attack the city hall cuts on the sanitary department. Long story short, it was a no show BUT it had it’s density (poor choice of words…).

It earned 2 minutes airtime, and i went back home to wash my hands from such dirty tactics. By the way, the campaign caused more litter than effect.

I’m not sure that I would take the time to take pictures of poo but, hey, everything is important to someone. And (engage serious lecturer voice) maybe that’s a lesson for journalists to learn in an increasingly local world.