Saturday, January 05, 2008

Asheville Bloggers - Input please.

Bloggers,

Mountain Area Information Network and 103.5 WPVM want to get together with Asheville Bloggers to meet and put our heads together. They're all about community media, and it's seems a little crazy we haven't all gotten together before now.

We're suggesting a night out at the soon-to-be-opened Rocket Club on Haywood Road, Feb. 2nd.

What do you think?

39 comments:

ash said...

Gordon, heard you were on the radio this morning, albeit a tad early. Cool!

Can you offer any more information on the purpose of the gathering? Sounds interesting...

Gordon Smith said...

Ash,

I hung out with Wally Bowen, who heads up MAIN, a couple of weeks ago. he's pushing hard for increased internet freedom. I'll tell you more about that later. He's also trying to figure out how to offer the best community media to the most community residents. He had some ideas about how Asheville bloggers and MAIN could work together to spread each others' stuff around, and I suggested that the BlogAsheville community would likely have oodles of ideas too. So I'd like to see MAIN and BlogAsheville help each other, but I'm exactly sure how.

What I do know is that community internet, community radio, and community bloggers really ought to get to know each other, so this coming together is more about meeting each other and forming relationships than it is about strategizing. I'd love to hear some brainstorming on the subject, too, but above all I'd like to see the WPVM/MAIN crowd rub up against BlogAsheville.

Gordon Smith said...

"but I'm NOT exactly sure how"

martyweil said...

It sounds like a great idea. I'd be interested in hearing more about the purpose and agenda.

Gordon Smith said...

Part of what I'd like to hear is what you think the "purpose and agenda" ought to be. I tend to lean towards the "throw people together and see what happens" school of thought. I know that Wally would like to talk to folks about some of his ideas, too.

Maybe we could have it be part exposition and part purely social?

zen said...

Ok, I'm just gonna start typing and hope i say something worthwhile - i'm not a word-blogger, but a visual one, and so handicapped.

The first thing is I'm hoping an interesting partnership like this would evolve into something other than an UberBlogAsheville just presented as part on MAIN's main page. We already have a blog-of-blogs and it's working well and may even have already grown it's limit here in BlogAsheville.

But it may come down to what Wally wants: diverse content and what bloggers want: diverse readers and dialog more than comments.

Or, i don't know, maybe MAIN is looking for more community and bloggers are looking to make a profit more than adsense.

The radio aspect is interesting (not so much for me visually), and may be moving away from a listen-to-without-feedback game to the call-in-dialog (Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers) or the multiple talking heads representing points of view (Left, Right and Center), or the edited version of multiple entries (This American Life). Other than having bloggers talk (which may be like going from silent movies to 'talkies') there may not be much charm there.

Anyway, it's late and i'm nearly out of words - but i'd like to see some new color emerge rather than just looking at the same old palette i seem to be able to come up with...

Moss said...

Hope we can make this meeting at a time when either rides or public transit is available -- both ways. Keep me informed.

Gordon Smith said...

Zen,

If you click over to this:



You'll read more about Wally's ideas, and maybe it'll spark some more stuff for you. The most interesting and underdeveloped area in Wally's essay is the idea of fortifying and strengthening community "journalism". I don't call myself a journalist because those guys have their own set of standards, but the idea that citizens could have an alternative media based largely on their own life experiences is intriguing.

Even if we simply come up with a good way to aggregate our blog posts into a community page in a way that encourages discussion, interest, etc.

This is the kind of brainshtormin' I'm hoping for.

Also - the WPVM crowd (I don't know about MAIN) is fun as hell, and merging for a party just sounds like a righteous night out.

Gordon Smith said...

"If you click over to this"...

Um..er...THIS:

http://www.main.nc.us/savethenet/

martyweil said...

I clicked over to site. Is this a fundraiser in disguise?
I went to the MAIN site, as suggested and here's what I found:

"MAIN...will share our story with local...funders who understand the peril and promise of this pivotal moment in our nation’s history. Meanwhile, we welcome your tax-deductible donations to keep this important work moving forward."

It's fine if that's what it is, Gorodon, but I'd like to know about it going in. I've been to "meetings" before that were nothing more than fundraisers, and I was railroaded into making a "contribution"--it left a bad taste.

zen said...

Thanks, Gordon - i will read that!

Admin said...

im in...

Gordon Smith said...

Not a fundraiser. Wally's throwing a fundraiser through MAIN right now, but this event, as I imagine it, would just be to get together with other community media and see what develops.

Gordon Smith said...

The link I left was just to illustrate what MAIN's up to. Not trying to sidle anyone into anything...

martyweil said...

Thanks for the clarification, Gordon. Please understand that my comment wasn't intended to accuse you of anything. I think you're doing a great service in making us aware of this opportunity.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to participate. But I too have trouble attending meetings that have no objective or an unclear objective.

If I read Bowen's essay correctly, and Gordon's suggestion to refer to it, the meeting may focus on addressing the following paraphrased question:

“Can [specific philanthropic institutions and individuals who realize just how severe the acute crisis facing both the Internet and journalism has become,] overcome their sometimes short-term thinking and fickle, often idiosyncratic nature and make significant, multi-year commitments to strengthen or build pillars of journalism in their communities, the nation, and beyond?”

This is ambitious and probably some great ideas can come from deliberating the possibilities.

If there is another objective -- or a different or ulterior objective, please keep us abreast.

Thanks.

ash said...

Go to the Knight News Challenge's web site here to see just what some of the possibilities are. One of last year's winners includes the Chi-Town Daily News, which was awarded $340,000 to recruit 75 citizen-journalists (one for each Chicago neighborhood), train and equip them. Sounds similar to what Wally's grant is after.

Gordon Smith said...

So maybe we ought to have a "meeting" for those interested in that and a party for those who would like the community building/party scene.

There's a lot of bloggers yet to chime in here.

Party? Meeting? Partymeeting?

I'm down for whatever.

Edgy Mama said...

I'm interested, but already booked for that night. Keep me in the loop!

Anonymous said...

When you say Asheville Bloggers, is it just for the Asheville folks or can us "outsiders" also attend? I'm interested and that night is open on my calendar.

Gordon Smith said...

Hiya Weaverville!

BlogAsheville is all about inclusivity. Didn't mean to make you feel unwelcome.

dontalley said...

I publish/edit a new "indie internet media" website devoted to drawing increased attention to the local music of Asheville. (The website is The Asheville Music Scene and the url is www.ashevillemusicscene.com)

I would be interested in meeting with other local "indie media" types including bloggers, web publishers, and print publishers.

By definition some "indie" media prefer to maintain complete independence and are naturally skeptical about linking up in any formal since with other entities.

We all have our own agenda. Mine is focusing increased attention on local music.

I think informal networking is a great idea.

If a formal "agenda" develops, then we can make a decision about our future level of involvement and our desire to support the "agenda" at a later time.


So count me in and keep me posted.

Don Talley
Editor
The Asheville Music Scene

web: www.ashevillemusicscene.com

email: ashevillemusicscene@gmail.com

Huw Richardson said...

Awesome! I will be resident in NY State by then...
Best of luck to all y'all!

Gordon Smith said...

Wha? What's the story, Huw?

Huw Richardson said...

Gordon: I'm moving to Buffalo to be closer to my man. (Closer by 18 hours drive time).

MtnStyle said...

What about "real time" reporting via internet to radio show host on goings on while they are happening. Like a pod cast only with chosen "reporter" in the field with up to date, at the scene reports maybe including sound bites as they happen? Like:"Hey, they are about to vote on raping the hillsides for more condos, come quick"
Concerts would be cool too. Like "Hey if you come at the intermission, I'll leve the back door open"

Undercover Blue said...

Tell me more. Anything Wally's into sounds good.

Shad Marsh said...

will there be booze? (preferably of the free variety)

Bill In Asheville said...

How come my comments don't show up?

I am in

Kathryn said...

I'm certainly in for a party, but like Tim, my head starts to nod early if there's no defined agenda.

ecthompson said...

Question: do we want to save this internet or to build another one that is faster and more reliable. One that isn't under the thumb of the big telecoms.

I'm just askin'?

Sudeaux Lux said...

Sigh... I'll have to watch the progress from afar. Although I'm still in town 3 or 4 times a month I'm living in Johnson City, TN now.

Undercover Blue said...

The Buncombe County Democratic party is holding its annual chili cookoff on Feb 2 from 1-4 pm, so if the MAIN-blog thing is a "night out" there's no conflict. Great.

chall gray said...

But won't it clash with the inevitable James Joyce birthday parties???

Gordon Smith said...

“A man of genius makes no mistakes; his errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.” - joyce

Gaia said...

I would be very interested in joining you folks. I am a new volunteer at WPVM and a blogger.
:)

Gordon Smith said...

Where do you blog, asheville_activist?

Sophie Seriously said...

When is this event? I see allusions to it but did not find reference to date/time.

sophie said...

Okay, I saw the location/date on the main page. (DUH!)(time?)