Virtual Manchester
Sponsored by U-Net, maintained by XTML Creative. Comprehensive reference site (with search engine), with information organised under not always very informative categories - "local news" contains all sorts of items with almost nothing in common.To get an overview of what's available, start at the index page.

Its sister site, Interactive Manchester, is now in place. At the moment it contains an X-Files feature, locate your long-lost friends, Urban Myths and Legends and a message board.The overall impression is of a cross between a radio phone-in and a classified ads page, with an element of 'Notes & Queries' thrown in.

Manchester Online
Published by the Manchester Evening News and City Life.

mymanchester
mymanchester is a new site from the Manchester Community Information Network, and styles itself a "community portal". This, according to MCIN, will be "an enhanced internet site that offers more than just information, but is dynamic and gives real opportunity for consultation, communication, interaction and digital transactions". In my experience, "just information" is hard enough to organise and maintain : I won't be holding my breath for consultation and interaction.

Mad for It
As I understand it, this site has been produced by the Manchester Multimedia Centre as a showcase for their animation skills. It succeeds admirably on these terms (if you like that sort of thing), but as an information provider it leaves something to be desired. The layers of animation create a level of expectation which the entirely bland pages of text don't fulfil.

Manchester Guide
Manchester4kids.com