In an age of immediate satisfaction, automatic headline updates and constant breaking news, the quest for personalized information becomes harder and harder. People are left to sort through digital pages of big news stories that may only cover what appeals to the masses.
Google took a step in the right direction with GoogleAlerts: a service that allows you to enter key phrases that then flags and delivers in an e-mail any article that contains them. Even these topics, however, are subjective to what others find to report on them. With small town newspapers disappearing and large town newspapers limited ability to cover everything, topics that may strike a personal chord with just a handful of readers tend to get lost. In 2006, web developer Kevin Freitas decided to take a stand and make a change and Feed>>Tacoma was born.
Feed>>Tacoma shortly after launch in 2006
“My inspiration for Feed>>Tacoma came from what I saw as a need for a couple things. First, a place that makes it easy for folks to read up on a lot of budding new local blogs. Back then there were five or so Tacoma focused blogs that I kind of thought would be stronger if we pooled together our content and make life easier to read up on them for people interested in more grass roots, local perspectives.”
From this simple group of five blogs, Feed>>Tacoma grew into the interactive and multi-media platform that it is today. Individuals can create blogs on the site itself, or link specific blogs from their personal external sites by including a “Tacoma” tag.
“Choosing what comes up is easy – I don’t. For any external blogs that want to contribute, I make sure that they know we want to keep things focused on Tacoma first and things that interest Tacomans. From there it’s all automatic.”
The original five blogs that started it all included Cassioposa, Exit133, KevinFreitas, Tacomaness and ThriceAllAmerican. Since then, Feed>>Tacoma has grown to include over ninety on-site blogs and almost forty external contributors. It also has its own weekly comic titled the Tacomic and has spawned new local traditions like the weekly Frost Park chalk-off competitions in downtown Tacoma.
Feed>>Tacoma has also spread to include sections for an interactive community events calendar (anybody can post their event), a small shop with local products for sale, photos and video from Flickr and YouTube with a “Tacoma” tag and an extensive discussion forum for all things Tacoma.
“All kinds of events, activities and groups have organically materialized because they had Feed>>Tacoma to help them do so.”
Feed>>Tacoma today in 2009
As Feed>>Tacoma has continued to grow, so has the attention it pulls from other local media. It’s contributors make frequent appearances in both the Weekly Volcano and Tacoma’s CityArts magazines and has even received attention from the Tacoma News Tribune which recently sent out PLU student reporter Kirsten Ostgard to cover last Friday’s chalk-off.
So what’s in store for the future of Feed>>Tacoma?
“I’d like more options to help the Tacoma community share perspective and get together. Hopefully some ore organized events and meet-ups, new features to help people get more content they want or are interested in, more ways to help local businesses gain exposure and thrive, and more resources to educate locals and visitors alike about all things wonderful and Tacoma.”
It was a pleasure to be filmed by Ms. Ostgard. The TNT could do worse for it’s future multimedia needs. I rate her services an A++!