New feature #1: Metblogs now features some snazzy Seesmic integration.

!!!

Seesmic is an online video sharing service. You can record video directly through Seesmic or link to videos you have posted elsewhere and share them with folks.

What that means for Metblogs is 1) authors can now post video and 2) any registered user can record a video comment in Seesmic (and you don’t need a Seesmic account to do it). Look for this button below the comment box.

!!!

Go ahead, somebody try it out.

New feature #2: Related posts. Not mindblowing, but there it is. You’ll see those at the bottom of every individual post page.

New feature #2.5: Some updates to the CSS rolled out this week, so your viewing experience should be much improved. Even my crappy Windows/IE6 combo I’m stuck with at work displays the page much better. HQ has a list of fixes, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Hello all, I’m Art, one of the aforementioned new bloggers here.

I’m a native of Minnesota, but was schooled out in Boston. I returned to the Twin Cities last summer to seek my fortune, and now I’m living the dream as a nonprofit hipster.

If all goes to plan I’ll mostly be blogging about the local political scene, but my mind/interests have been known to wander.

Metblogs is having an open call for authors. If you’re a blogger looking for a wider audience, or simply have a desire to write about whats happening in Minneapolis Saint Paul, keep reading:

This is an unpaid gig, but you have the opportunity to have your stuff read by our fabulous Minneapolitans on a daily basis. Vloggers, photographers, community journalists, gripers and anyone else with a desire to write about Minneapolis is encouraged to apply.

Applications are now closed. We have some fantastic new authors! Hooray!

Kill off the Writers

Originally uploaded by dydimustk

So, I’m originally from Texas (where a few of your other hosts have been hiding out lately). But, 9 years ago, I met a girl from White Bear Lake (you know, Go Bears!?), fell in love, and had to stay.

I find it easy to get immersed in a city like NYC, or Seattle. I want to discover the immersive nature of the TwinCities. There’s not doubt we’ve a great music scene, tons of great independent restaurants/bars, and a growing creative class. I’m on a quest to find these people and places.

Oh, and I’m kind of a geek. Hopefully in a good way. So my brief attention span often gets distracted by shiny, designy, codey, weby people and projects. I don’t know if this is a warning or a welcome introduction. I just though I should say hi, before jumping into the conversation.

Hi.

Y’all know we have a Flickr pool for the Minneapolis Metblog. We’d like to respect the licensing for everyone that posts to Flickr, but I want everyone to be fully aware that whatever photos you add to the pool automatically show up in the sidebar. This was always the case, but it should be more obvious now.

Plus, we like to post the ones we like the best. So, to make it perfectly clear: By adding your photos to this group, you are giving us permission to post them (with attribution).

If that doesn’t work for you, please remove your photos from the group.

Thanks much!

You may or may not be reading this at minneapolis.metblogs.com. If you’re in your feedreader of choice, I invite you to click through and take a look at the new digs. Here’s what’s new and different:

• The major obvious thing here is the new look. The less-obvious thing is that all Metblogs are now running on Wordpress-MU (bye bye, Movable Type).
• User Registration: Sign up at my.metblogs.com, after which you can leave comments and participate in the forums. Had to be done. Sign up once and you’re set for life on any Metroblogging site. The usual things about how we don’t spam or sell your email address apply. You can additionally sign up for Network Announcements if you like.
• New Features: We’ve always had a Flickr group and the photos were tucked away in the sidebar. The animated Flash badge is now over there for all to see. You can now rate posts (these ratings help determine the Best Of Metroblogging). Some nifty polling features and Google Maps juju are on the way as well.
• Three New Views: If you’ll look here at the top of the page, there are three ways to look at Metroblogging Minneapolis: Recent Activity, Most Interesting and Most Active. Recent Activity will show what posts have recently been changed or had comments added to them. Most Interesting works on a special formula that we’ve determined, based on external links, comments and some other special sauce. Most Active will show you where the fire’s at.
• New Author Profiles: Check out the new Authors Section! We’ve done some work there to make sure that you can learn all about those who are writing here regularly.

We thank you for your patience as things are cleaned up and new features are rolled out over the next few weeks. We will update you along the way. Please, (sign up and) give us your feedback. (We already know that our old permalinks are broken. This will be resolved ASAP.) We’d love to hear what you think of the new design. In addition, if you have questions about specific features not working, drop a comment here and we’ll try to get it cleared up.

And, of course, keep reading. :)

We’re celebrating our 2000th post with contraband photography!

Originally uploaded by manyhighways.

“One of the few shots I managed to squeeze off on Thursday afternoon in the IDS Center’s Crystal Court before security asked me to stop.”

Thanks for all the Twin Cities Grinch of the Year nominations! Here’s the poll. Vote away! One vote per computer, so if you feel strongly, vote from work and from home.

Voting will remain open through Thursday, December 27. We’ll announce the winner on Friday, December 28.

After the jump, a brief summary of the nominees.
(more…)

Saturday
November 3
6:00 pm
Red Dragon
(22nd & Lyndale)

That’s this weekend.

w00t!

Saturday
November 3
6:00 pm
Red Dragon
(22nd & Lyndale)

Hope you can join us. Thanks for all your support!