A Soquel man's startup company is, literally, hanging the old community bulletin board in cyberspace.

Using geotagging technology, which marks points on a map much like thumbtacks, Steve Russ' 4Grabs.org will allow people to actually pin listings to a specific location almost anywhere on the planet. Unlike Craigslist and eBay, which list goods, services and information only for certain cities or from clear across the globe, Russ' Web site gives users a free place to search and post within their own neighborhood, no matter how big or small, no matter where.

They can then view listings down the block by entering their home location.

"The mistake that companies like Craigslist have made is that they define geographic regions," Russ said. "Because we don't define geographic areas, 4Grabs works anywhere in the world just like it does in Santa Cruz."

Russ, a builder and former software company owner who spent 14 years of his life sailing the world, hatched the idea in December with friend David Warren, who taught digital media during a 34-year career at Cabrillo College. Russ wanted to search online listings for jobs, garage sales, events and more in his own neighborhood.

"It's your electronic sidewalk for boxes of good things you are willing to share with your neighbors and it's a place where you can publish your concerns, insights and values to everyone who wishes to read your opinion," he said.

The company is up and running, but listings are still few and Russ is working on marketing and securing funding. Eventually, Russ hopes, people in small towns not connected with major metropolitan areas will be able to create an exchange for nearby goods and services.

"He's got a great idea and we think great ideas are born in Santa Cruz," said Margaret Rosas, founder of Quiddities, a Santa Cruz-based Web solutions agency.

She said startups like Russ' are starting to pop up more and more in Santa Cruz as people with high-tech skills are trying to work closer to home. "What we know in this industry is that the hyper-local is an untapped market," she said. 4Grabs.org, she said, taps into that. "I think Steve's definitely got a really good understanding of how that can work," she said.