I'm the one and only aggregator

Last night, we had the second meeting of minds in the great Manchester Aggregator project. There were some of the original gang missing (they gave their apologies), and a few new faces instead. Well, perhaps not necessarily "new" on the social meeja scene, but new to the #managg round-table discussion. The table, it has to be said, wasn't so stable. If anyone has any furniture they'd like to donate to Mad Lab, BTW, speak to the Edge Street boys ('n' gal).

So the meeting, fuelled by a jolly nice banana-stroke-rum cake, kind of went one step back - but it also went two steps forward, and anyone in their right mind would say that's progress. We decided on a name, for starters, and it's cute and snappy and nothing at all to do with Christian Scientists, we promise. I mean, don't get me wrong, we're as diverse as hell, plus we love a good bit of science, but... One day we might even tell you what it is, the name, but in the meantime, let it be noted, for the record, that I said the word "lizard" first, but I'm too quiet and meek (he-he), and the one who shouts loudest shall the glory take.

We have lots of ideas. LOTS. There's a bunch of us get together, on average once a month, and some know pretty much all there is to know about platforms and coding and other bundles of joy. That's not me. I just nod sometimes. Me, I know about printing and blogging and writing and editing, but even then I'm not claiming to be some kind of expert, because things are changing all the time and it's dangerous, y'know?

Anyway, the basic concept is to have some kind of place where we bring together the best of the blogs in the rainy city - perhaps online, perhaps print, perhaps online and print. But definitely online. We're toying with the whys and the wherefores, but the whatnots are getting there. We have some homework to do (there's talk of a URL and a logo, and we're going to be doing some testing out of theories on Google Groups), then a third meeting to arrange, and then perhaps we'll be somewhere nearer to know what the hell it is we're trying to achieve. Then, and only then, we might be able to share...

(In the meantime, don't forget that furniture need. Oh, and if you fancy giving us some funding, we'd obviously be very grateful. Failing that, I suppose cake will do.)


*UPDATE* You can also check out my report (hah!) on last night's Manchester Aggregator meeting on the Social Media Manchester Ning: http://ning.it/77U16g
Please use the hashtag #managg in any Twitter correspondence.