Channel 2 wichita Blog · Wichita related Web stuff… and, continuing coverage of the 2 wichita Bookmarks Project
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Web feeds (a.k.a. “News Feeds” or “RSS Feeds”) have been a useful tool for time-conscious Web users for many years. They’re a great way to keep up with blogs, news sites, event calendars, job postings and other frequently updated content.

If you are new to RSS, here are a couple guides to help you get started.

• Feed 101 - From Feedburner/Google
• Explaining RSS to Your Mother - Video tutorials via abduzeedo

Localized Feeds

These feeds will help you keep up with what is going on Wichita.
(Right click link and “copy link location” to snag the feed URL.)
 

1. Twitter Local Feed  - Displays updates by Twitterers in and around Wichita. You can also check out our Twittchita page for a Web-based stream of Wichita tweets.
    
2. Twitter Search: Wichita - Shows current Twitter updates containing the word “Wichita.”
    
3. All WE blogs - Displays posts from all Wichita Eagle blogs. 
    
4. Kansas.com Feeds - The Eagle has headline feeds in most of their online sections (look for the orange RSS button at the top of the page). Save precious browsing time by making a “custom newspaper” in iGoogle or Netvibes.  In ten or fifteen minutes you can build a one page list of hundreds of regularly updating Eagle headlines to skim through effortlessly.
    
5. Craigslist Feeds - Subscribe to current listings in any category with the feed icon at the bottom of each page. Job Postings, Housing and For Sale/Wanted feeds can be especially useful. 
    
6. Eventful, Wichita Events - A local events calendar feed. Also, check out the events feed from Upcoming, not as many items as Eventful, but worthy of a spot in your newsreader.
    
7. 2 wichita Bookmarks Feed - Our feed of local news stories, blog posts, videos, photos and other local Web content scavenged by our contributors. You can also follow specific subject areas by subscribing to individual tag feeds. 
    

Know of any other feeds Wichitans might find useful?  Post them in comments.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, questions and comments about the Web Map of Wichita. We’re glad you like what you see.  Stay tuned, we aren’t done yet. 

We released the first version of the map in April 2008 based on sites in our ranked index at the time.  Many good local sites and blogs were not indexed, and therefore not included on the map. We’ve been feverishly updating the index with new sites since then. In late September we will release a new Web Map of Wichita to coincide with the official launch of 2 wichita.

Hyperlocal Bookmarks

Our main focus around here is the local bookmarks app.  Everything else, the map, blog, site index and other lab projects are secondary.

Over the coming weeks and months we think localized bookmarks can become a unique asset to the local Web culture.  A central link feed can provide a place for thoughtful Web users, bloggers and other Wichita webbians’ to showcase and share good local content. 

In its current state, the bookmarks slowly churn-on thanks to a small group alpha contributors periodically adding wichita-related news, videos, photos and other tidbits to the log. Over the next few weeks we will be inviting many more locals to contribute.  Sign up for a beta invite now!