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Happy Birthday, H2otown!
Yes, today is the first birthday of H2otown.info! In one short year H2otown has grown from zero visitors to 1,800 visitors a day, from one lonely registered user to over 200. 1,288 blog posts, 70 restaurant listings, and a gazillion comments later, it's time to get down with the blog birthday.
In the blogosphere, it is a tradition that on a blog's birthday, instead of receiving gifts, you give them. H2otown feels she has so much to be thankful for, and was in a delightful and expansive mood as she trawled East Watertown this afternoon for blog birthday gifts. The four gifts are:
- A $20 gift certificate to Donahue's
- A $20 gift certificate to Fastachi Gourmet Nuts
- A $20 gift certificate to the Town Diner
- A one year subscription to the Arsenal Center for the Arts
H2otown will choose the winners by drawing names randomly from registered users who make a comment on this post between now and this Thursday (Registration is free, and you can sign up here). H2otown will draw the winners on Thursday. Happy birthday, H2otownies!
[Ah. There's one other blog birthday tradition, too -- you're supposed to post a picture of yourself looking silly, so you won't take yourself too seriously in the coming year. Gotta do it. Wouldn't want to anger the Blog Gods. More on that later.]
Hi, everybody. Be sure to register and be logged in when you leave a comment. If you're logged in when you leave a comment, I will be able to email you at the email address you used to sign up for your account.
I'm so glad you're here and it's been a great year of very useful and sometimes humorous information. I wish you future success for years to come and thanks for all you do!
I suggest you stick a candle in a chocolate cake from the Danish Pastry House and wish away...and congratulations on a successful year.
I didn't know about this blog tradition, but I'm in.
This blog is a great resource -- thanks for keeping it up!
Congrats to you and H20town on a successful year. I for one couldn't be happier that the blogging events are on a count upwards. Way to go Lisa. As for my picture, wouldn't want to scare bloggers away - so how about just a happy face with a bit of butter cream frosting remnants :))! delish!
PS - When will we be able to add some really cool clipart? That will be such fun to add emotion to words.
Happy birthday H2Otown!
I think it's great you've had so much success in your first year. Here's hoping for many more.
Congratulations H20Town and thank you for providing us with a forum for various kinds of discussions. You are providing a public service and are an asset to Watertown.
Ah yup, can't git thayre from heayra (Maine speak)
But we have and only in a year thanks Lisa !!!
Happy Birthday H2otown !!! Now am still working on the photo posting part. It works on my blogspots, but I always have trouble heayra, ah yup....
http://static.flickr.com/33/102994613_9e5576ced3_m.jpg
Only one year? It seems like H20town has been with us forever. Brava, Lisa! I'm sending a picture that can count for both me and Pam.
Thanks for a great year - many happy returns!
Happy birthday H2Otown, and many happy... what's the opposite of returns? Thanks for being a great local resource.
This site has been a big help to me as I settle into Watertown. I can't believe you've only been doing it a year -- it looks like the work of an old pro. :)
Thanks!
Yes, I remember those early days, before the newspaper articles, before the radio talk shows, and before the magazine features. I would swear there were weeks when only a single comment was posted.
H2otown, you are to be congratulated on your success, which is no doubt the result of your commitment, perseverance, and a great sense of humor. As Year II begins, I'm personally looking forward to the continued growth of the h2otown community.
Yep, it was pretty lonely out there on the 'ol blog prairie there in the beginning...look at it this way, Fred, when all those Year 2 people come along, you'll have a really low H2otown user number, and it will give you major cred with the newbies ;->
You're right on about the community stuff -- in 2006 I'm going to be working on beefing up the community features. The H2otown Newswire highlighting local bloggers is just the beginning.
Major cred, eh? Does that mean, as user number 3, I can win any argument here by saying "Oh yeah? Well I signed up before signups were even working, so therefore I'm right!"?
That might come in really handy.
People are gonna bow down and fan you with palm fronds, man.
Happy one year! I just started visiting H20Town recently and already I feel so much better informed... :-)
It is our pleasure! Do be sure to return the favor and let us know what's going on in your neighborhood, good experiences with the all-important takeout food, etc...
One word: Tantawan! And they're really nice folks, too. (OK, that was more than one word.)
Ooh, I like them too. They manage to make a pad thai where the noodles aren't mushy. Inexpensive, too.
H2oTown, I would like to say, THANK YOU!
Lisa, it has been wonderful that you have provided an asset to the people of Watertown. You have risen above the main stream media to shine with a truly open minded, educational and highly informational view of our surroundings we all love to call home.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY and may you have many more.
Thanks, JD! I'll be calling in later on when I know who the winner is -- there wasn't any question that Donohue's had to be on The List.
I was just dropping by H2Otown because I'm starting a term project that involves organizing a local group of volunteers to build a community web site. So I wanted to see how H2OTown was doing.
I figure it doesn't hurt to add a comment and maybe win some goodies.
Keep up the great work, Lisa!
-- Dave in Medfuhd
Can't believe how big you've grown! Co-chee-coo-coo-coo!
Happy birthday! I just got here. Glad to join in the fun! (Now if I can just get the cat to get out of the way of the screen...)
What is it with cats and computers? Is it me, or do they do the same thing with the newspaper?
Congratulations! What unbelievable growth in one year which, I think, reflects the value of the public service you have provided to the citizens of Watertown.
Thanks Lisa for doing the hard work of building community. It's tempting to point to blogs (and other web 2.0 tools) and claim these technologies are changing the way people connect, collaborate, share and learn. But none of that happens without someone taking the initiative to create the space, invite the contributors and motivate them - especially by making sure they know they're being read. You've done it and with humor and enthusiasm. Thanks.
Lisa,
Congratulations...your blog has been such a great addition to Watertown. I love how supportive you are of the local scene...and you have a great sense of humor and civic responsibility...
keep up the great work!
Best,
Joan Merritt Kraus
P.S. speaking of the Diner...their bakery/(cupcakes) is being featured on Chronicle tonight (Thursday-2/23) at 7:30 on Channel 5
Thanks for all your work
I check it several times a day!
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