metblogs.com is a network of city-specific blogs. Each city is represented as a sub-domain within metblogs.com -such as berlin.metblogs.com, rio.metroblogs.com or karachi.metblogs.com etc. It is certainly just another blog aggregator. Currently there are 53 cities on the metblogs network. Getting Colombo (or any other Sri Lankan city) on this system seems to be a great way of generating international traffic for Sri Lankan blogs.
A few months ago I emailed a bunch of met bloggers to find out about their experiences with the site. Idea Smith of Mumbai, Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan of Chennai and Anita Bora of Bengaluru (more well known as Bangalore) were kind enough to respond. They were over reassuringly positive about their experience at the time.
As I told them all, I am NOT affiliated with metblogs.com, Bode Media (the company behind the whole metblogs) or any other associated entity. I’m certainly not being paid for this.
Getting Colombo listed will take a minimum of 10 initial bloggers. Just less than a cricket team. One will get the lordly title of the “captain of Colombo”. Essentially someone who “encourages” (or if needed prods) his/her fellow bloggers to post on a regular basis.
List of possible suspects that I think should blog on colombo.metroblogs.com:
- Dinidu de Alwis – Media Liaison Officer
- DeeCee – Blog titled “colombo rantings” should be enough to qualify 😉
- Jack Poiny- every court needs the wisdom of a jester
- Gutterflower- amazing what blooms 😉
- Cynicaly yours – to avoid believing in the hype
- webalochana – introducing Sinhala language bloging to the world.
- Nazreen for the cultural scene updates
- Dominic – Official photographer of the Sri Lankan blogsphere
- David Blacker – reluctant defence analyst
- Missing Sandwhich – prescription strength dosage of eyebrow raising posts
- paan-waati – Anthropologist
- Soixante Neuf – consultant on practical matters regarding The purfumed garden and the works of Mallanaga Vātsyāyana
Apologies to those I have not mentioned. Consider it a part of how out of touch I am. Hardly have time to read stuff online any more. With most of my writing happening on the go. Which is why I kept myself off the list. The time I have for my “online life” a towering house of cards. Another digital commitment will be the sneeze that knocks it all down.
Hope you feel interested to sign up. It would be wunderbah to add other Sri Lankan cities like Kandy, Jaffna, Galle etc. Got to start somewhere.
Cerno 
I like your description of moi. He he.
Mais, je ne comprend pas! What does one do to actually create said colombo.metroblogs.com? Just sign up? And then when they have 10 of us it comes into existence?
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Thought it was accurately descriptive 🙂
You summed it up better than I could 🙂 I wonder how long it would take for the “critical mass” to be reached. Keep us updated 🙂
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Haha. Hilarious. I am honoured to be on your list, considering I just started 🙂
Am also thrilled with my new designation. Finally something worthwhile to put on my business card…..!
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Btw, would love to sign up.
-6
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Ha, (thank you leaving out half breeds, drummers and vices in versa!, we deserve it as we do not live there! But what about Java? I need to fill mu lungs with imaginary stuff!), On the other hand perhaps Indi could do the same with kottu!, Kottu MU.
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Done.
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Hey, I’m interested in joining the crew 😀
I went to the site.. signed up, now what?
😛
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Soixante Happy that you do 🙂 If you get a chance hope on over to http://my.metblogs.com/wp-signup.phpto sign up.
kalusudda: Grovels for my negligence but that shouldn’t stop people from signing up.
David & St.Fallen: Thank you. That’s fantastic 😀 I guess you’ll have to wait till the numbers add up. I think. If 10 people say they signed up and nothing happen I think it would be time to send a digital pigeon to Bode media
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why, thanks for the mention cerno, and the important sounding description 🙂 i’d have thought the title fit you better than me.
anyhoo, signed up but slightly confused (as i usually am) does that mean we have to maintain another blog on metblogs or does the current one somehow get aligned with it?
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I already signed up Cerno. complains were actually complements! I already signed up. Keep us updated of the progress!
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hey…signed up but not sure what the next step is..
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Thanks cerno.. V. flattered. 🙂
Signed up. But like everyone else, am a bit clueless as to what happens next.
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I signed up too, but then sighed cos i have no idea what happens next 🙂
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Thanks Cerno, Only just saw this…. I have signed up with Metblogs. and next?
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oh wow. cool 🙂 Shall jump on the band wagon… Thanks for the mention.
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I dont believe it. They have a metroblog for Azeroth 😛 & that place isn’t even real!!!
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pissu perera: You are welcome 😉 From what I could gather its sort of like having access to a communal blog where you are an author. I THINK. 😐
kalusudda: Will do 🙂
sach, Dili and Dominic: I think that’s about it right. Hope there’s a indicator light going off somewhere in Metbllogs to know that interest is developing.
gutterflower: My pleasure 🙂 I guess its a bit of a waiting game right now.
DeeCeeYou are Velkum 😉
Many thanks for everyone whose shown the interest. 😀 I hope the people behind metblogs will respond positively. If not it might been everyone firing a barrage of emails to Bode media. Anyway its the week. The next few days will result in something. Hopefully positive.
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