First there was me and my cheap…well, free…Wordpress blog – snarking it up to other local bloggers and eventually Parker Cross.  Then there were other commenters.  And then some discussion.  And then a lot of discussion.

Then Lampe-Farley created a DM logo and we threw it onto a whole new website.  Then we tried classifieds.  Then we gave up on classifieds.  Then we started accepting advertising.  Then we added the events calendar, Free-For-All Fridays and Eye on the Street.

“Evolve or die” has always been my motto.  (Actually it’s never been my motto.  I don’t think I have a motto.)

Regardless, I’m excited to announce the next big step in the evolution of this local online monster known as Decatur Metro: more voices!

In an effort to include more news, viewpoints and opinions in our posts (not to mention avoid my total burnout), Decatur Metro will soon feature posts by three new contributors.  And we didn’t just pull these people off the sidewalks – though I’m pretty sure that at least two of them already have an unhealthy love of sidewalks – these are DM commenters who you already know and (maybe even) love!  They are (in alphabetical order)…

• Andisheh Nouraee – Former Creative Loafing staff writer, syndicated columnist and current purposely vague FFAF grouch and Eye on the Street literalist.
• “Scott” – long-time, well-respected DM commenter with an urban planning background, who has been known to write a thing or two on community development issues.
• Daren Wang – Founder of the Decatur Book Festival and self-proclaimed creator of “hare-brained schemes” (like $2,000+ beers!)

(FYI: All contributors were given the option to call themselves whatever they’d like.)

So what does this mean in terms of your day-to-day DM consumption?  Well, you’ll still get all my usual stuff, but now it’ll be accented with these other regular voices.  All three of these fellas have been contributing informally to DM in a lot of ways for a long time, and I’m thrilled they’ve all agreed to give this a go.

In addition to our new contributors, I’m also now formally accepting “Letters to the Editor”.

This is a smart move that Decatur News Online made back in its heyday and I’d like to continue it here in an attempt to further expand DM’s viewpoints,  perspectives, and knowledge base.  Kyle Williams’ TAD commentary from October 2010 is a great example.  To be a bit clearer, these letters aren’t the place for an unhinged rant (ex. “Cars are for jerks!  Sidewalks are for morons!”), but if you’ve got a thorn in your craw or a cause to promote and also the info to back it up, send ‘er in!

I will continue to retain full editorial control over all posts, so DM should remain the online place for thoughtful, lively, local discussion it has long been.

Anyway, that’s the long and short of it.  Hope you enjoy!

When Zoo Atlanta’s Mei Lan turned three, she was surprised with a giant “cake” made out of ice, bamboo and cinnamon.  When the Atlanta Constitution turned three in 1871, it celebrated by killing off its main rival, The Daily Intelligencier.

Unfortunately, I can offer nothing as refreshing or dramatic on this, Decatur Metro’s third birthday.

The site has certainly come a long way in the past year, with the most obvious change being the introduction of business sponsors and/or advertisers.  Each of them deserves our thanks for supporting DM and recognizing the power of locally focused online advertising.

Three years, 3,368 posts, and 36,710 comments later, I could have never predicted where this site – conceived on a whim – would take me or any of us.  Whether we’re saving owls, hosting City Commission debates, going 500+ comments deep on a potential Dollar General, eying the street, having in-depth and decent debates about healthcare reform, transportation, or local development, or just being beyond ridiculous, it’s a great joy (a large majority of the time) to helm this venture.

My heartfelt thanks to all who read, comment and submit news tips and pictures.  As I’ve said previously, it never would have lasted this long without the support and companionship from readers and other bloggers and journos.

But of course, the largest thanks continues to go to my wife for enduring the time-suck of this hobby-turned-occupation, as well as being an excellent sounding board for countless ideas, concepts and aggravations.

Here’s to the next 365 days!  May they be even more inspiring, challenging, nerve-racking and rewarding than the last.

Photo courtesy of the AJC

Looks like voting for the 2010 version of Creative Loafing’s Best of Atlanta awards (aka “the Loafies”) is officially open.

Click over and inundate the site with your Decatur-centric picks!

You must enter at least five of the 319 questions to submit your ballot. (Note: you must now register with CL to vote.)

And if you just happen to be looking for the best blog/blogger category, it’s near the very bottom of the first page of the ballot.  You know, in case you’re into that sorta thing.

If you recall, last year DM was thrilled to win the critic’s pick for best local blog, but still got served by The Blissful Glutton in the reader’s pick for best blogger and by the cutting-edge Drive a Faster Car for best blog .  But this year, the gloves are off and I’m coming for you Zyman and @Tessa!

(Do I actually think a hyper-local blogger can garner more support than a super Atlanta food blogger or the virtual epicenter of the Atlanta new media world?  Not really, but I’ll die trying.  And by “die trying” I mean I’ll write a post begging for support and then go about my day.)

I’m not sure what’s going on with the server this morning, which is causing DM to load somewhere between INSANELY slowly to sort of slow, but Bluehost assures me they are working on it.

From what I can tell it’s gotten a bit better in the past couple hours and hopefully they’ll have things rectified before too long.

Hang tight!

Decatur Metro continues to evolve.  It can’t be stopped!  A few updates for you…

1.  Target locals without all the Craigslist clutter!  The once pay-to-play classifieds are now FREE.  While we had a bit of momentum on the pay classifieds early on, it became obvious that most residents didn’t want to pay for classifieds (yes, yes, Craigslist, I know), and that most businesses, who might be willing to pay, wanted more than a classified.

So, if you have info to pass along to the Decatur/DeKalb community, be it an Announcement, Available Job, Lost or Found object, a Garage Sale, some Merchandise, Real Estate, Services, Tickets, Vehicles, or Items Wanted, head over to the Classifieds section and post away!

2.  I’ve added an “Events” tab to the top of the page, which will take you to a new page that hosts the “Featured Events Calendar” in a monthly calendar format. Great for making plans in advance!

3.  And finally…Take your DM addiction on the road!  If you use an iPhone, iPod Touch or anything operating Google’s Android OS, viewing DM is now easier than ever.  Seriously, it’s awesome.   (Judd, it’s not an App, but it might just be the next best thing!)

So what is this new “Featured Events Calendar”?

Well, beyond the obvious (uh…it’s a Google Calendar), it’s just the latest step in Decatur Metro’s ongoing evolution.  Just like recent additions like “Free-For-All Friday”, this calendar responds to demand.  Not only from countless readers who have suggested something similar in the past, but also from local businesses and organizations looking for ways to get their events in front of local eyeballs.  (That’s you!)

All of this came to a head a couple months ago after I launched our wonderful “local ads”, and I started hearing from more and more businesses that were interested in getting some local exposure through DM, but also needed a platform to display events on a regular basis.  A physical ad might be a good start, but some businesses also wanted a more topical platform.

So, after brainstorming a bit with a few key local players, this calendar was born.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mandated reflection time!

Anyone want to take a guess at the top 10 DM posts of 2009? (And by “top” I mean, “most clicked on”.)

Hint:  Top posts often times have a lot of comments, because obviously you have to click on a post to see comments, but that isn’t a hard and fast rule.  There are other ways to be #1.

Whatcha got?