as done and enjoyed by all, me especially. We were fortunate enough to have peacefulmuslimah with us, flying all the way from Doha! (she regards Doha as the suburbs of Bahrain, so that can’t be too bad!).
Here’s a mugshot of the crew:
See if you can recognise who’s who!
There are more pictures here
Looking forward to the next one, make sure you register and turn up on Dec 2nd.
Comments
1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
It was surprsingly relaxed and pleasnat, to be honest. You guys were easy to get along with and it made a difference being around such a a swell and freindly bunch!
Credits due to Haitham for pulling this together (and, not forgetting, for the drink. Cheers mate!)
Thanks everyone and we’ll certainly be seeing you soon.
Re: 1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
Indeed and hear hear too!
How about also arranging demos of the various software engines that we use for our blogs? I know that you Ali use bravejournal, Haitham uses TypePad and WordPress, everybody else it seems use blogspot while I do Xaraya. Is there any interest in investigating the features, comparisons and why one chose this or that? Or is that too technical and we should concentrate on the content rather than the engine?
1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
So what did you guys talk about?
1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
[quote]How about also arranging demos of the various software engines that we use for our blogs?[/quote]
thats a great idea…. i’m having a headache with blogspot… its not flexible at all….. i’ve used nucleus & pmachine in the past…. but they’ve been pretty stiff as well…..
Right now i’m looking for a blog coded in php that has a bbs kind of system where users can have one userid and password to access their own mini-blog, gallery, a pm inbox thingie, their own rss feeds, links … an ipb or vbulletin type of interface thats easily skinnable and can be modded & uses mysql as the backend …..& something thats not xaraya… 😀
I’ll be totally relieved if anyone can suggest me a open-source php blog with the features i’ve mentioned?
Re: 1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
STEVE!
… and other little topics like Bush, Ali’s book, the amount of smoke in that place was unbelievable! I started caughing and choking after a while. Sent my clothes to the laundry to take away the smell. Oh, we’re talking about what we talked about… oh, yeah, STEVE! Did I say that already? And how Mark was infatuated with shawarmas 🙂
Re: 1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
boy you don’t ask for much do you?
Re(1): 1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
mmmmm Shawarma…………… DOH!
Re(1): 1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
[quote]How about also arranging demos of the various software engines that we use for our blogs?[/quote]
That’s a good idea. Well, I can run a demo of any of the following on one of my domains:
[b]Blogs:[/b]
b2
b2evolution
Nucleus
pMachine Free
WordPress
MT
[b]Content Management:[/b]
Drupal
Geeklog
Mambo Open Source
PHP-Nuke
phpWCMS
phpWebSite
Post-Nuke
Siteframe
Xoops
[b]Discussion Boards:[/b]
Invision Board
phpBB2
YaBBSE
[b]Image Galleries:[/b]
4Images Gallery
Coppermine Photo Gallery
[b]Wiki:[/b]
PhpWiki
TikiWiki
I can install a demo of any, and to make it worth the try:
1. one of the softwares at a time.
2. the invitation is only valid for BBMG (Bahrain Blogger Meetup Group), atleast at the moment.
3. Demo for one week.
So you guys select what you wanna try, and I’m ready.
… in case anyone else is afraid to ask, re: Shawarma!
I know I was.
Shawarma = The Arabian Taco …
[img]http://www.shalombr.com/jpg/shawarma.jpg[/img]
[img]http://images.wcities.com/www.wcities.com/cityrecords/81558.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.gomideast.com/articles/shw1.htm[/url]
[Modified by: Sandee (Sandee) on November 05, 2004 02:29 PM]
Re(2): 1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
I see that you’ve been around for quite a while, you mention some dear names there like PHP/PostNuke, Mambo, *Wiki and others which I have gone through once upon a time. Even helping bring about a calendar module (PostCalendar) for PostNuke!
But I have learned that it’s not the engine, but the content is what makes a great site, of course, if the engine is flexible and strong enough to grow with you, the easier it is for you to concentrate on the real reason of having a dynamic website in the first place, and that is to manage your content!
I’m note sure that I would want to go through all of the ones you mention above Haitham, it would be nice to visit example sites to get the flavour. My intention behind the suggestion is to allow the people using the “free” engines like BraveJournal, Blogspot and others to see that there are other solutions which they could grow with, and might make their life a bit easier!
Take Xaraya for instance, it can offer so much more than what I am using it for at the moment, but at least when I wanted to add another section to template the addition of movies, it was simple enough and very quick to create not only a template, but also create the necessary fields to hold the repeatedly required information.
So, why don’t we all make a list of what’s important for us in an engine to manage our content? Then we can distill that list and arrive at a short-list of CMS/Blogging tools that we might want to investigate and demonstrate more fully?
And if within that list we can find champions from within the group (ie, comfortable using one of the tools) then that champion can demo the engine during one of the meetings.
The end result is for us to be cognizant of what is available in the market.
1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
lol…. i guess i don’t ;)… :)… ok maybe i’ll just have to go with some that haitham mentioned above… i’ve got the same software installed on my server……
1]as for the demos and stuff… i can chip in a couple of space and bandwidth for anyone who wants to try it out.. a demo/week like haitham suggested….oh i’m havin’ it as per week ‘cos i got a limited number of mysql db’s i can use up/
2] the invitation is only valid for BBMG (Bahrain Blogger Meetup Group),
b2 (go for b2 evolution its a lot more nicer)
b2evolution
Nucleus [might use this one again as a last option]
pMachine Free [have used it before, hasn’t offered me much scope]
Content Management:
Drupal
Geeklog
Mambo Open Source (grt on mods)
PHP-Nuke (very, very skinnable)
phpWCMS
phpWebSite (i got a presentation site of this already up, it just took me 20 mins to get everything configured out,…the url is http://www.ucbstudents.info)
Post-Nuke
Siteframe
Xoops
Discussion Boards:
Invision Board [not very pro, on the other hand its one of the widely available free bbs’s thats got a lotta’ hacks for it]
phpBB2 [theres a new look of this come out called – punBB]
YaBBSE [its ok i guess… not a lotta’ mods for it as invision tho]
Image Galleries:
4Images Gallery (got a working version of this as well up n runnin’ – http://www.fansofterbo.info)
Coppermine Photo Gallery
Wiki:
PhpWiki
TikiWiki
3] invitation is valid for those who are & aren’t yet members of the BBMG……if i know how many ppl want one i can set up on a free space set with 12 gigs of data transfer/ month…. just send me an email if u’re interested//// and we’ll try to work something out……
i also propose that we a shared blog on the bbmg site, (like ali suggested or someone else did i think.. not sure abt tht) where one person starts off a post and the other person continues it until… the next meetup….
u’re gonna ask whats the prupose .. well i think its just fun…. and it draws a lotta ppl together….. this way u have yo meetups with more ppl gettin to know abt it…. i dunno.. its an ideal in its skeletal stages…. i guess 😀
Re: … in case anyone else is afraid to ask, re: Shawarma!
Damnit Sandee!! Now you had to go and post that pic didn’t you? Now I have to fly back to Bahrain so I can dine on a few dozen of those wonderful shawarmas. Would someone please call BurgerLand and tell them I am on the way?
Re: … in case anyone else is afraid to ask, re: Shawarma!
problem is, they NEVER look like that!
Just like when I get disappointed that when I wolf a bounty, I don’t feel like I’m on a beach surrounded by luscious beauties!
My ideal blog software would:
Let’s start this thread then and see where we get to. Reply to this post and list the 5 most important aspects of blogging software you would need. Just 5 and then we’ll whittle things down:
1. free (open source)
2. flexible/modular
3. good media/content management
4. search engine optimised/friendly
5. php/mysql based
Re(1): … in case anyone else is afraid to ask, re: Shawarma!
Ha! So BurgerLand wins against GrillLand huh?! 😉
1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
Steve,
What do I have to do so that they will talk about me in the next meet up? Please I need your advice…..I am so jealeous.
Re(2): … in case anyone else is afraid to ask, re: Shawarma!
On taste YES. Grill Land got my final vote because I can walk there from the house if need be. At this point I don’t CARE which one it is just have them for me when I get off the plane! (beef/lamb please) See you in 24 hours.
[Modified by: Bonsaimark (Bonsaimark) on November 05, 2004 06:59 PM]
Re: My ideal blog software would:
I guess same as you mentioned, apart from the last one, I don’t mind a perl or php.
And I guess when u say flexible/modular, you mean templates, plugins, etc…
Re: My ideal blog software would:
1. open source & good tech support/help guides
2. php/mysql based
3. skinnable & can be modded easily
4. excellent admin/user options & portal-interface
5. seo & ease of use
thats not a lot to ask for now ;)… innit 😀
Whoops …
[size=9]Note to self, don’t press the submit button twice.[/size]
[Modified by: Sandee (Sandee) on November 05, 2004 03:22 PM]
The (www.mahmood.tv) Blog evolution …
VERY cool that you got together to do some face-to-face chit chat and even talk about Blog futures / technologies. But since I’m still a relatively new guy here – I’ve been checking out the achieves … which brought me to [b]www.mahmood.tv of blogs past[/b]! How’s this to demonstrate blog evolution not only in design and technology, but topics (actually, the topics remain pretty consistent!). Your version one blog from July 2001 …
[b]Check this achieve site out:[/b] [url]http://web.archive.org/web/*/https://mahmood.tv[/url]
[img]http://s91595436.onlinehome.us/stuff/mahmood.jpg[/img]
Double Dutch
Not just Steve came up, but also his mirror image, Double Dutch – the genius-like contributor from Rotterdam who sadly we don’t see anymore after his extensive comments on Bahraini.tv were unjustly deleted with the demise of the site. They should have been kept for posterity, all we have now is the inappropriately named Mr Koch’s single contribution to Mahmood’s Den, which like the last remnant of some lost civilisation can be found here in the comments section:
https://mahmood.tv/index.php/news/72
Double Dutch’s extensive CV includes:
* Runs an Islamist dating agency promising a million single Saudi girls online
* As the Chairperson and Founder of the Islamitische Partij Nederland stood in elections against Pym Fortune, which saw the latter sweep to victory using people’s fear of Islamists.
Although there’s a good chance he’s a leading suspect in this and won’t be able to contribute: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3978787.stm
Mahmood, please invite back this man.
ps great to meet up with you all last night.
Re: Double Dutch
[quote]Double Dutch’s extensive CV includes:
* Runs an Islamist dating agency promising a million single Saudi girls online
* As the Chairperson and Founder of the Islamitische Partij Nederland stood in elections against Pym Fortune, which saw the latter sweep to victory using people’s fear of Islamists.
[/quote]
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH :D… thanks for the laugh scorpio lol…..
i’d like to see more of double-dutch around…. 🙂
Re(1): 1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
The CIA planted a mike in the planter. They’re sending me the tapes now.
Steve
Re: 1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
Sorry, ibath, but as I understand it you’re from Canada so you lack the advantage of getting under people’s skin like we Americans. I’d advise you to be more arrogant and inflexible with a dash of condescension. That fires them up like nobody’s business. Perhaps with enough practice, you can become a fundamentalist extremist like me. It’s an art form really.
I’d tell you more but I don’t want to give away all my trade secrets.
Steve
1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
it was a great start to a super meetup.. thanks to haitham for taking the initative to start it all up! 🙂
.. i had stuffed myself before coming with coke & shawarmas while watching a local soccer game in Riffa & i really couldn’t even handle the expresso i ordered…. but none the less, i managed…. 🙂 …
chanad definitely looked relaxed with his hubble bubble pipe……. maybe next time … if i’m not too stuffed.. i’ll join him…. & i propose for the next meetup we have a sign stating where exactly the bloggers are going to be @,, ratehr which table.spot… u know what i mean..
or maybe even if ppl don’t want to be so revealing atleast inform someone (waiter/manager) at the cafe or venue that you’re having a meetup and assist new arrivals with it ….. cos i spent like 3 mins looking for everyone around bundera…
i mean once i walked into the 3rd section of the place.. i believe.. it was easy to spot everyone when i saw mahmood & haitham… 🙂
T’was nice meeting everyone up & the atmosphere was swell & i look forward to more meetups… next month the meetup might grow me thinks 😉 [& nxt time i’ll get my directions right & make it on time :D]
Thanks to everyone for a wonderful time~
1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
I think it is fascinating that a blogworld can bring so many people together. Truely remarkable. AND I’m really jealous that I wasn’t there. To be a fly on THAT wall. A fly with a gas-mask on (nargeel smoke)…but a fly nonetheless.
Also, “big ups” to Haitham for having the brilliance to concoct such a gathering….and to PM for representing the female bloggers…and to Mr. Mahmood for posting great pics.
1st Bahrain Blogger Meetup
It was really a delightful evening and my special thanks to Mahmoodie for being my host and chauffeur. I was really struck with how everybody really fits right with their blogging personality — and what a completely comfortable group of fellows I found myself surrounded by. And I haven’t forgotten about fixing that precious Chan’ad up with my lovely friend 😀
Thanks Haitham for getting it going and to all the Al-Yousif clan for opening your home to me. I have the biggest crush on Arif and felt right at home with the female half of the family! Give them all my love, Mahmood. I’ll hope to have you all visit Doha soon.
Salaam,
PM
HELLO!!! SCHWING!!!
Why Chan’ad, you dogfish you!
Good to see you back PM, after a couple of weeks I was starting to get worried!
Well fellas, I guess chicks dig blogs…
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Last night; PeacfulMuslimah, Mahmood, Chan’ad, Tariq, Ali, Scorpio, Stravinsky and I, 8 out of 9 who initially RSVPed attended. That is great number of attendees for the first Bahrain Weblogger Meetup.
We were extremely pleased to have peacfu…
Thanks for this article, it was very useful for me.