Karachi Metroblog Bags Spider Praise
Spider magazine, who recently started a regular section on blogging, covered the Pakistani cities part of the Metroblogging network in their September issue. The article is written by the talented Karachi based writer Hafsa Ahsan (who also writes the regular column Dot Com in Dawn‘s weekly technology supplement Sci-Tech World). It isn’t up on the Spider website unfortunately, so you’ll have to go get a copy from your local bookstore to read the entirety of it, but here’s some of the praise we received:
Yes, the Karachi Metblog is definitely the place to discuss all things happening in Karachi from literary events and exhibitions to the traffic jams at Shahrah-e-Faisal and power break downs in specific areas. Every once in a while, a single post can attract a number of conflicting opinions leading to heated debate and arguments. However, the posts generally make for a very interesting read.
An apt summary that is indeed! There’s more in the complete article that I’m sure many of you will agree with, including an important discussion on the pros and cons of the basic concept of “metro” blogging it self, featuring plenty of quotes from KMB captain Umar Siddiqi. The review of the Islamabad and Lahore metroblogs and the respective stories of how each was born and subsequently grew, should also be an interesting read for any regular reader of the Pakistani Metroblogging scene.
Anyway, its nice to get some acknowledgment. Well done to all the Karachi Metroblog authors and all our readers, who keep coming back here again and again to provide their hodgepodge of insightful and not-so-insightful comments. Thank you all for your constant stream of feedback. It wouldn’t quite be the same without you! :)
Lahore n Islamabd metblogs are also covered.. and in past as well they’ve mention karachi metblogs in spider.
Congratulations! KMB is famous now, covered by Spider, oh my, lol
i thought it was
karachi metroblog BEGS spider praise
but realized later it’s bags not begs
congrats metroBEGGARS, Oh i mean metroBLOGGERS.
Good work! Now only if you had even better author, this blog could perhaps get international coverage! I am not saying that all KMB authors are stupid but some of them really need some help and advice!
Good show!
While Metblog Islamabad was hailed and covered by BBC, Washington Post ……and the list goes on. Poor Karachi Metblog has to do make do with Spider.
Anyway, do your best, things will improve. I can see that KHI Metblog team is pretty young, perhaps induction of more experienced authors with greater insight can add more value to the team.
at last. some one covered KBM ;)
KMB rather
congrats to KMB on this. For one, I see KMB as a good place to find like minded (and “un”-like minded which btw can be a good thing too) individuals. It’s easy to get lost in the jungle that’s Karachi so hats off to the KMB for giving some order to the Karachi chaos :)
Its a pretty good team here except for a few rotten eggs like Uniza and Boulvi-shit.
Its a pretty good team here except for a few rotten eggs like Uniza and Boulvi-shit.
I think the best author has to be Mansoor. His posts are awesome!!! Unaiza, Umar, Zainab and the likes really need to take time off KMB and wait till they finally become adults :s
Unaiza is a good writer, but she could be a meanigful contributor if she frees herself from Farhat Hashmi type drama baz.
oh alam :)
Very good site review Hafsa. She often wrote article about educational issues as well which were equally good.
Is it not weired that hafsa herself doesn’t maintain any blog? :-)
RealityCheck,IMB was covered due to CJ issue. Karacchi metroblog was covered in press during earthQuake’05 when this blog played a major role in relief work. Saba, the ex KMB blogger was interviewed on BBC to discuss EQ relief issue. Read below:
tinyurl.com/2xleaf
If you check the archive from Oct to Nov 2005, you would find out that how useful this blog was at that time. The team of that time deserves a big salute. Well done Umar and his team. Recently Awab and Ramla were interviewed on VOA. So our people also made efforts you know. :-)
I would add further that Karachi MetroBlog was the first metroblog in Pakistan. Later Umar helped in to establish IMB and LMB. Though I don’ know why we couldn’t extend our list. Though we could have a Hyderabad Metroblog very easily.
The other distinction of this metroblog is that few authors as well as readers are well-known in their respective fields. For instance this hafsa ahsan, I knew her name before joining this blog back in 2005, same goes with TeeEmm, Insya Syed were not alien name for many of us. Khalid Omar(KO) and TeeEmm are like pioneers of blogging in Pakistan.
There maybe many other names as well who are unknown other than this metroblog but atleast I don’t know them. :-)
@ Adnan Siddiqi:
In EQ’05 Days, IMB was not created for world as yet, hence bloggers from Islamabad actively worked in collaboration with Lahore Metroblog to update about relief efforts.
Following links support what I’ve written:
http://lahore.metblogs.com/archives/2005/10/
http://lahore.metblogs.com/archives/2005/11/
http://www.spider.tm/jan2006/blog.html (yes again Hafsa :))
And yes KMB was first one to originate in metroblogging world but what gives you the opinion that ” Later Umar helped in to establish IMB and LMB.” I’m sorry but it’s not what facts are – I say for IMB at least.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
Quite an irresponsible comment by Adnan w.r.t Islamabad metblogs, I must say.
asma, I am not in metroblog team but this is what I had figured out when Omar somewhere discussed about metroblog stuff.
I didn’t say some other metroblog didn’t help out. The point was raised that IMB was covered in other papers so I was just explaining that same happened with KMB in past.
I second A4P and Talha BI second A4P and Talha B
seems like i have committed some big sin *grin*.
hasan M, what I replied to Asma is applicable for you and Talha as well.
@adnan siddiqi: I’m not in mood of a pointless debate here but if you can clear these few points?
can you please explain by “this is what”, what do you exactly mean?
Was it so simple?? Really?
Adnan, seems like you spoke too fast without checking on the facts.
Adnan, seems like you spoke too fast without checking on the facts.
bhailog, yar mujhe kia pata tha k log yahan chimat jaye gay aur dimagh ke dahe bana dey gey. I was quite clear what I said.
@Adnan,
Clear crap is as good as opaque, twisted clarity.
I respect your opinions, but do check out the facts before accusing.
Yar, chill karoo. There’s no harm in acknowledging ones mis-conception.
No offense!
@adnan: dont try to be historian from nexxt time :)