Evan B.

Castanet is a stand-alone news oriented website operating in Canada's Okanagan Valley.

It was one of the first hyper-local portals.

Castanet's "hay-day" was 2003 - 2008, post Okanagan Mountain Park Fire. Back then its

Local news and user generated content was second to none in Kelowna.

Since then it has failed to substantially update or improve itself. It's like looking

Back at the web in a time machine with its dated colour scheme and web 1.0 look and feel. It's a real shame because Castanet had so much potential to franchise and be a serious force in hyper local portals.

Where Castanet excels, probably because it was first to market, is its user generated content: classifieds and forums. It falls flat on its own content: local news.

Pluses:
1. The best classified selection in the Okanagan by volume, (although Kijiji is still easier to use)
2. Great discussion forums

Cons:
1. Too many ads that exceed IAB ad size recommendations. (Site runs much faster with ad blocker)
2. News stories are often reprinted press releases, not real journalism.
3. News stories are often repeats of news found on other local sites.
4. Poor sports and business coverage.
5. You can no longer comment on local businesses in the local forums.
6. No mobile version

Meanwhile the traditional media that generally dominate this space are catching up to Castanet's huge lead.