Patch, who's mission is: "...to fund the operation of Patch news and information sites in communities that need them most: inner-city neighborhoods and underserved towns around the world", has made sure the people of Beverly Hills have more local news.

Patch claims to exist to improve the quality of life in underserved communities. In Westport, CT, aside from Patch, the city is served by the Westport News, Westport Now, The Westport Minuteman, and countless other news sources both online and off.

While Patch claimed to be the only news organization hiring, and claimed they would be providing good paying jobs to an industry that needed them, shortly after going live, Patch did a complete 180 degree turn, fired most of the new hires and decided to "beg" local bloggers to work for free. In a single effort Patch is attempting to kill real news, and replace it with the type of celebrity gossip and politician bashing drivel that AOL and Huffington Post are famous for. Goodbye news, hello, "My kitten just hicupped" and "How to Frost a Cupcake" type journalism.

Patch's parent company, AOL, (then "AOL / Time Warner"), earned the #2 spot in the CNBC list of TOP 10 CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS -- in 2005 settles with investors for $2.5 BILLION after fraud allegations, (they accounted for advertising transactions by shifting money back and forth between accounts to manipulate the company's value). On a smaller scale, Elliot Spitzer sued AOL for how it treated customers who tried to cacel their accounts.

Important: If you operate a local website and don't like Patch in your town, here's what to do! (Anonymously -- no need to register!)

TIP #1: Be sure to click the "Flag as inappropriate" links on every comment and posting you browse on that Patch site. This lets them know YOU think "Patch" is innapprorite, but understand that you are causing the editor to have to check all those innapropriate reports --- just in case one is inappropriate in Patch's opinion too.

More tips on how to beat Patch...