A couple observations:

* We’re funding part of this effort, we’re not leading it.

* I think it’s important to understand the background of some of this:

http://chartreuse.wordpress.com/2006/08/03/team-new-orleans/

http://chartreuse.wordpress.com/2006/08/01/new-media-that-matters-ii-or-how-upside-down-media-works/

Char (Prince) is a New Orleans native and has been talking about New Orleans for as long as I have known him.

For those of you that were offended, you have my apologies.

I still believe passionately in the effort that Chartreuse is engaged in by sending this group to New Orleans.

I note that Candice has commented a bit about her role in all of this as well.

Thanks,
Matt

Chill out y’all, we’ll try to stay as real as possible. I thought it couldn’t hurt for them to do more coverage, either. And I am fairly certain I have friends in common with several of you folks. I for one am not discounting anyone’s coverage. (Maitri and Loki both, that planning process stuff is good work. Post more. Please.)

Keep in mind that the larger discussion around this effort is happening over at Chartreuse’s blog – but I believe that all of you have raised very valid points.

This deserves a post of its own, so I’ll just respond briefly and then come back to this in a post tomorrow.. but let me apologize for those of you that I offended, that certainly was not my intention.

I’ve read many of your blogs in the past and many of you have done a wonderful job of calling attention to what’s happening – and what has happened – in the areas affected by Katrina.

That said, I believe that having others visit to write about New Orleans and the road back to the ‘new normal’ is not a bad thing – not at all. It’s only going to serve to call attention to the work that each of you have already begun.

I’ll have more to say tomorrow — thanks again for dropping by, and I appreciate all of the challenges..

Matt

Please chime in anytime.

I commend your effort, truly, but it is a little naive at least to suggest that nobody but the MSM is putting out stories.

Earlier this week, we posted about a community media effort led by Chartruese to send a group of bloggers, podcasters, or videobloggers down to New Orleans to report on the “ground truth� of what was happening.

was that it was somewhat presumptuous and arrogant to talk about “ground truth” when you haven’t even reached out to local bloggers, many of whom have been dealing with and blogging about this story since Katrina first entered the Gulf. As if we’ve been living in some sort of tech backwater for a whole year and the missionanary bloggers are going to finally bring civilization to us backward natives.

Come down and join us. Come down and help. But look and listen and learn, we know a lot more than you think we do down here.

Thanks Mr. Melpomene for linking the locals to this and thanks Maitri and Loki as well.

Please keep in mind that while we do all appreciate the interest, and will do anything we can to help you, we have all been actively blogging from the front lines since before the storm. There is now a pretty tight community of NOLABLoggers that have been organizing in a way I am not aware of ever occurring before. We are all comparitively on edge from living in a disaster zone for close to a year.

In the original post you said, ” Finally, we have a vested interest in blogging.. or what we’re calling in this case Citizen’s Media. On the ground reporting from folks that don’t have a mainstream media connection will produce what I hope to be some raw and challenging footage and thoughts that will show us what the current state of affairs in New Orleans really is.” I would like to point something out to you.

The above, when read by someone here in NOLA, can easily come off as presumptuous. There has been a steady stream of audio, video, and text churning from this city’s few functioning areas with internet. One of the major problems, as seen by this community, is the lack of info the general public has access to.

I do not offer these observations as an offensive gesture, simply a statement of the realities (as I see them), and a words as to how things may be taken when framed in certain languge. I belive I speak for us all when I say that we welcome and appreceaite your effort and look forward to meeting y’all face to face.

Anyone who is interested in communicating the circumstances here is most welcome. Look me up, I will be doing audiocasts for the New Orleans Oral history Project (http://neworleansoralhistory.blogspot.com ). I would love to audiocast your reactions after you see the reality. If there is anything I can do to be of assistance let me know!

http://thinknola.com/wiki/Rising_Tide_Conference#New_Orleans_Bloggers

Maitri

i sent you an email – who are the bloggers that we should be profiling here? There’s a great story to be told about New Orleans.. where do we start?
Matt

Hmmm … I wonder what we NOLA bloggers have been doing over the past year. I’ve been schooled. Guess we should just shut down our blogs.

Then again, outsider perspective that is not MSM is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it’s great. New Orleans needs all the attention it can get, nationally and abroad.

You may want to give props to local bloggers who have been writing on this city tirelessly (without pay) since Katrina and the flood. You know, in the interest of shiny, happy synergy and all.

Hmmm … I wonder what we NOLA bloggers have been doing over the past year. I’ve been schooled. Guess we should just shut down our blogs.

Then again, outsider perspective that is not MSM is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it is good and New Orleans needs all the attention it can get, nationally and abroad. You may want to call attention to local voices who have been working hard (for no pay) since Katrina, you know, in the spirit of shiny, happy synergy and all.

Good work!

Namaste!!!

Hand grenades. Those things are gross. About the only thing cool about them is the guy who dances around in the street in a hand grenade costume, prompting your crowd to start making monty python jokes about holy hand grenades.

But seriously, thanks for the coverage.