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Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Dylan Wilbanksseattle.metblogs.com
April 28, 2007
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Metblogs: The Basics
• Started in 2003 (blogging.la) by Sean Bonner
• Expanded to other cities; Seattle added in 2004
• 54 cities, 5 continents, 700+ bloggers• City captains• Unpaid (though there are goal-based
rewards)
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
How A Metblog Is Formed
• Person has interest in forming local Metblog
• They start blogging (soft launch) and recruit new bloggers
• Who recruit new bloggers, and so on, and so on
• Once there’s critical mass, public launch
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Seattle Metblogs
• 15 writers right now (8-10 normally)• Age range from 20 to mid-40s (median ~28)• ~50% live in Cap Hill/Eastlake/Madison Park• Strive to be Seattle-centric – global memes
only discussed if there’s a Seattle connection
• Still have our own blogs
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
We fall into roles
• We write about what we know and love– Zee: Movies– Samantha: Art– Ryan: Sports– Kristen: Politics and culture– Dylan: Ranting
• But we don’t have defined roles
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
What does the community look like?
(Please tell us. We’d love to know.)
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
How do we know we even have a community?
Because people are willing to take the time to say how much
they hate us.
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Discussion topics
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
YOYOW(You own your own words)• But…with group blogs, is that
still true?• Ownership questions• Mean Kids
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Blogs != Forums• Blogs are primarily two-way:
Blogger writes about a topic, readers respond.
• Forums are multi-way: Readers write, writers read, everyone responds.
• Horses for courses
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Group blogs mean the group must interact with each other.
Seattle MB writers interact:• Physically
– Meetups (second Thursday, all invited)– Tastings (coffee, chocolate, etc.)
• As writers – Online story meetings– Commenting on each other’s posts
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
How does a group blog build a good online community?
• Good ideas• Good writing• Good readers• Good feedback• Good interaction• Good connections -> community• So good community starts with
good writing and ends with connections
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer.
-- E.M. Forster, Howard’s End
Community Blogging the Metblogs Way
Links and Contacts
Seattle Metblogs – http://seattle.metblogs.com
Metblogs – http://metblogs.com
Dylan Wilbanks – http://[email protected]: wnalyd