The problem: hyperlocal news is fragmented - on news sites, blogs, newsletters, events pages, etc. I built this so the local community can see, submit, curate, and discuss local news, all in one place and with a map.
maybe the mobile app is better but when I want to post something I thought I would get an option so oauth and submit something from my social account not a file I have on my computer.
You mean there was an issue with Facebook login..? It should only try to open a file from your computer if you're submitting a story and try to attach an image.
Re mobile: It's too complex for a small screen, so there's a mobile page that just says there will be an app soon.
No i logged in without fb (just to see that experience first). so this is used more to kind of geo see what is going on around you? wouldn't an instagram be the best integration because then you can see events that are going on around you?
At first I thought I could just try to pull in geo-tagged feeds from Instagram, Twitter, and other sources. The trouble is, most of that content is not actually about the location. Someone might say, "I love lasagna!" and it's geotagged nearby. Unfortunately, I found there's simply too much noise for that approach to work.
Edit: The answer to your first question is, yes, that's exactly what it's for!: to see news within a certain radius of where you are.
A few people have been using it in the bay area, mainly in Oakland and Barkeley and a few in SF. Note that in other locations you can still use it, but there isn't much content to see!