San Diego is officially on the map when it comes to the interactive scene. We’ve been fumbling around for awhile, but San Diego innovators and leaders are starting to emerge, and they’re driving us to take our web connections to the next level. As the newly appointed Assistant Organizer for the SD Bloggers MeetUp, I’m super stoked to be a part of the amazing groundswell that is happening right now. Take, for example, last night’s gathering of 30 plus bloggers – and that doesn’t even count a few internet famous peeps who were unable to attend. Time for a recap.

The Format
Our leadership team, which consists of myself and Matt Browne of Integral Impressions, met a few times since the last MeetUp to discuss strategy and goals. Even though the previous meetings were great, we decided to take things to the next level. Our goal was to create an inviting, engaging, and social format that not only helped people publicize their blogs, but also get attendees excited about commenting on other Diego blogs. After about 30 minutes of socializing, we turned the floor over to the blogger community and let everyone give a shout out to their blog(s), and a shameless plug if they so desired (and I did). We also stole a note from the unconference format and asked people to write down a topic for discussion on a sticky note and post it on our notepad. Unfortunately we ran out of time, so we’ve got the topics handy for next time.

Why SD Bloggers Rock
For one the turnout was incredible, and the diversity was amazing. We’ve got bloggers covering web technologies, information technology, photography, linguistics, Padres baseball, family matters, politic issues, community issues and much more. More importantly, though, everyone had their own personal flair, making it obvious that bloggers are a pretty passionate group of people. I know that I feel incredibly lucky to have connected with so many intelligent San Diegans who share the same passion I do.
What’s Next
The next Blogger MeetUp is on April 29th, and Matt and I are actively looking for an adequate location to accommodate this growing group of blogger enthusiasts. Of course we’d also love a sponsor and we’re open to receiving some swag too. WordPress are you listening?
Also, make sure to check out Matt’s post and use the appropriate tags (“startupsd” and “sdbloggers”) when tagging your awesome content. Plus, please feel free to use the comments here, or on Matt’s blog, to share your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and anything else that comes to mind.
The Blogs
Check them out. Comment on them. Let’s start some conversations that spill over into the future SD Blogger MeetUps.
- tonybalsamo.com [Future Blogger, Real-Estate]
- whisperbuzz [Luke Pilon, Photography & Glass Blowing]
- sneakeracademy.com [Jessica McKimmie, Marketing]
- thesandiegotraveler.com [Carol Lane, Travel]
- obraq.org [Patty Jones, Ocean Beach News & Commentary]
- revolutionarymayor.com [Eric Bidwell, San Diego Mayoral Candidate]
- www.higherpassages.com [John
- shycloud.com [David Matt Green, Photography]
- msdigital.smugmug.com [Linda. Photography]
- sdmegacoalition.blogspot.com [Walter Davis, San Diego Community/Groups]
- enrique-gutierrez.com [Enrique Gutierrez, Philosophy, Photography and a myriad of other subjects]
- gwaveconsulting.com [Melanie Gordon, Marketing Consulting]
- www.sandiegogaslampandnightlife.com [Richie Edquid, San Diego Nightlife]
- edward.oconnor.cx [Edward O'Connor, Web Developer/Django]
- erin.oconnor.cx & snowclones.org [Erin O'Connor, Art/Linguistics]
- www.thaumatocracy.com [Dan Tentler, Photography/Hacks]
- blogworldexpo.com [Rick Calvert & Dave Cynkin, Co-Founders - group discount potential!]
- ducksnorts.com & www.knucklecurve.com [Geoff Young, Padres/Baseball]
- www.declan.net & eringoblog.declan.net [Declan Fleming & his daughter Erin, Family/Photography/Tech/San Diego]
- www.barcampsandiego.org [Dan Tentler, Patrick Crowley - Barcamp San Diego Unconference]
- www.jefferygordon.com [Jeff "Flash" Gordon, Photography/Books]
- binarywolf.com [Steve, Personal Interest]
- jacobbijani.com [Jacob Bijani]
- friarfaithful.com [Dominic Damian, Padres]
- grokz.com [Peter, blog coming soon]
Special thanks to David Matt Green for the photos.
Browse Timeline
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http://www.declan.net/2008/03/26/erin-and-declan-attend-the-sd-bloggers-meetup/ Declan’s Blog »Blog Archive » Erin and Declan attend the SD Bloggers Meetup
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http://www.3r.ie/blogs Peter Lawless
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http://pseudotherapy.com SJ
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Jenn
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jonesview
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http://ducksnorts.com/blog/ Geoff Young
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http://enrique-gutierrez.com Enrique
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http://mattbrowne.com/2008/03/26/local-bloggers-connect-in-san-diego/ Local Bloggers Connect in San Diego « Matt Browne of Integral Impressions







