Has it been a month already? It’s that time again- The third (official) monthly Harrisburg Area Blogger/Twitterers Meetup- this Thursday July 17 from 7-9PM- this time we’re meeting on the deck at The Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Company. (We’re meeting on the deck because Harrisburg Young Professional Kickballers invade The Abbey post-kickball matches for the next seven [...]

This Thursday, July 17, is our monthly blogHarrisburg meetup / Harrisburg Twitter meetup.  As always, we’ll be at The Abbey Bar (upstairs at ABC Brewery) in Harrisburg.  Weather permitting we’ll even be outside on the deck!  The meetup is open to everyone in Central PA who has a blog or a Twitter account, regardless of what you blog or tweet about.  Things get started around 7, and wrap up around 9.  Feel free to hang for the full two hours, show up for 15 minutes, or anywhere in-between!   We have these meetups on the third Thursday of every month.  If you’ve never been to one before, by all means, stop by and say hi!  Part social gathering, part social networking, and part excuse to partake in ABC’s excellent food & drink menus, the meetups are always very laid back and informal.  We’re just as likely to sit around discussing the finer aspects of local politics as we are the latest WordPress patch.  From time to time we’ll even delve into serious topics like advertising and SEO.  Above all else, it’s a great chance to come out and meet the faces behind the domains (and Twitter accounts) you all know and love. The Abbey Bar has plenty of free WiFi to go around, so bring your laptop, iToy, or other gizmo.  Also, ABC’s food menu is awesome, and their house drafts must not be missed (be aware; a bit stronger than you’re used to).  ABC has been really cool about letting us gather there at absolutely no cost, so feel free to tell them “thanks” by buying a draft or dinner. There’s no need to register or let anyone know you’re coming.  Depending on the weather and group size, we’ll either be between the bar and the stage, or outside on the deck.  Just walk up and introduce yourself!  Since we don’t know a whole lot of real names, it might be a good idea to let us know your Twitter name or your domain name.  And feel free to bring some friends!

The subject of the blogHarrisburg RSS feed (blogharrisburg.com/feed) came up in Twitter today.  I don’t think anybody was really complaining, but since it came up, I wanted to take a second and explain why it works the way it does.  Because really, Twitter doesn’t really do long discussions.   The blogHarrisburg feed sends out the abridged version of every article.  Sure, this is contrary to modern blogging etiquette, which generally suggests that the full article should be syndicated.  I’ve considered turning on the “full” feed, and I’ve decided to leave it abridged.  Here’s why: blogHarrisburg is meant to build awareness of, and develop a community around, the Central PA blogging community.  It wasn’t intended to mirror; it was intended to drive traffic to the original author’s site.  I feel that if I published entire posts in the feed, it would be robbing the original authors of traffic to their own feeds (especially important for the publishers who track their feed stats).  I’d rather see readers subscribe directly to the author’s original feed than pick up the bH feed.  This is pretty much the same reason I only publish excerpts — instead of whole posts — on the front page. I don’t think anyone was complaining, mind you.  I just thought it was a good time to mention my reasoning.  If anyone has any thoughts (contrary or otherwise) I’d love to hear them!

The third Thursday of every month, we’ll be having regular, casual get-togethers at Appalachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg.  We’re usually upstairs in The Abbey from 7-9pm.  These are open to everyone in Central PA who has a blog (or podcast, or any other form of online self-publication), regardless of subject matter.  To be absolutely clear, even if you don’t write ABOUT Central PA, as long as you’re FROM Central PA, you’re invited!   These events are very casual and relaxed.  They’re an excellent chance to get together with your fellow local bloggers and chat about all things new-media-related.  As time goes on, we will have a few special meetings covering useful topics such as website monetization, promotion & branding, and platform comparison.  And there’s no shortage of friendly advice on getting started, making this an excellent chance for any potential would-be bloggers to come find out what it’s all about.  We’re a friendly bunch, and nobody will ever be cast aside for being too new. There’s no need to ask for an invite; just drop in.  We’re usually stationed between the bar and the stage.  If you do have any questions, need directions, or have an idea for a topic / presentation, by all means drop me a line using the “Contact” link above. I have to point out that ABC, through the efforts of Jersey Mike, has been awesome about letting us get together there, even on days when the upstairs wasn’t open to the public.  Although certainly not required, consider saying thanks by grabbing a drink or something to munch while you’re there.

Surely you must have noticed. We’ve got a new template, a new layout, new contributors, and 38% more Central PA blogs / news for your viewing pleasure. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s different behind the scenes:

• Local bloggers who don’t necessarily write ABOUT Central PA are now being featured! This is something that I’ve been wrestling with for a long time, and this new template finally offers the means with which to stop talking and start doing.
• In addition to blogs and news, sites that publish local feeds dealing with things like upcoming events or new photos / videos are being aggregated in their own column.
• Local videos are being featured on the front page. More on this later, but if you have a Central-PA video you’d like to see featured, send an email to video@blogHarrisburg.com. Note that your video must be hosted on either YouTube or Google Video; please do NOT send actual video files.
• Two ways to make finding posts easier: All incoming posts are being tagged, and all posts are now being filed under 12 easy-to-identify categories. The exact category names may be tweaked as time goes on, but this is a big improvement over the 300+ categories that we had previously.
• Let’s face it; the new color palette is much easier on the eyes.

Right at this very second, the new-and-improved site is about 80% finished. I still have a boatload of little things to fix or tweak. After my marathon 20-hour session the other day, my brain simply shut down at 3am. Knowing that I had to get up at 5 to take my friend to her Civil Service test, I figured sleep > finalizing the theme.

As always, your suggestions and criticism are both welcome and encouraged! Drop me a line at the “Contact” link above.

In case you missed the announcements on several other sites, there’s an informal get-together happening tonight (Thursday 5/22) at Appalachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg. We’ll be upstairs in The Abbey Bar from about 6 to about 9. This will be more of an informal meet-and-greet than anything else, so there’s no need to worry about coming “prepared” or sitting through some dull presentation. This is a chance to come our and share some food and drink with your fellow new media authors.

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This Thursday, 05/22/08, a handful of us local bloggers & Twitterers (is that the right word for Twitter users?) are getting together at Appalachian Brewing Company on Cameron Street for food, suds, and general camaraderie. We’ll be upstairs at the Abbey Bar, which means plenty of free WiFi and smoke-free air. The meetup is open [...]