CamWebDir - a Cambridge Web Directory

A 'really local' directory with an events guide.

In Internet years online directories are getting on a bit. Before Google showed us that you could create quite a good search system automatically, Yahoo!'s hand-edited directory dominated the US market.

Of course having an index of several billion web-pages is very useful if you're searching for global knowledge, but it's often useless if you're after details of what's on your doorstep.

Part of the reason that micro-local information is often hard to find on search engines is that it's not online in the first place and simply isn't there to be found. It makes sense for companies and others to set-up websites to advertise themselves but if you're organising a bonfire night or school jumble sale you're probably going to be happy with a few DIY posters and a mention in the local Parish Magazine or Community Newsletter, and not bother with the Internet.

The issue of localised search has long been noted by the big players in the industry, and there have been and remain a number of websites and portals that segment their data using regions and postcodes and try to encourage a local community buzz, but the ones I've seen recently just aren't engaging. They're the same Yell or Thomson business listings with piped property and job-boards info from a few national estate agent chains.

The CamWebDir project is not intended to become a next big thing or Web 2.0 phenomenon, and I expect that there are number of websites out there doing a better job, but it's there and after a couple of days of revamping it I quite like it.

I've also recently volunteered to edit and publish my local Community Newsletter and I think it could be quite useful to have a website that lets local residents submit their announcements, classifieds and whatever via a website. It would save me some typing work and perhaps I could even set-up a mailing list and distribute some copies in PDF format. This would reduce costs to the Community Association and lower the environmental impact by saving paper.

If you'd like to use a website to help publish and distribute local information please give me a call or email - my contact details are on mjbdata.co.uk/contact.