The Blogerati Files: Vancouver

Every second Wednesday from here until the day the blogosphere implodes Beyond Robson will host The Blogerati Files: Vancouver. BlogTO has been doing this for ages and it's been a damn fine read. So, I figured, I'd get on board and see what Vancouver bloggers have to say about themselves, the web and Vancouver.

I've sent invitations to all the bloggers that are on the BR side bar. If you haven't received an invitation it's because I hate you.... nah, I'm kidding. If you haven't received an email from me it could be because 1. You are a very new addition to the sidebar and weren't on it when I was spamming everyone, 2. I couldn't find contact information for you, 3. I messed up your email address and sent the email to the totally wrong person or 4. All of the above.

If you would like to participate in the The Blogerati Files: Vancouver please email me (ariadna@beyondrobson.com) and I'll send you the questions or, just copy and paste the questions out of this column and put in your own answers. Cool? Hope so!

For our debut I've chosen Andrew Morrison, formerly of Waiterblog and currently of Urban Diner.

Describe your blog in 10 words or less.
Insider info for diners and the restaurant community.

Why did you start your blog? Blogiversary?
I started blogging about international politics several years ago, but made the switch to restaurants because it was more of my immediate world. I studied history and classics at university and was immersed in that world for a long time. That said, I'd been working in restaurants for over 15 years and thought blogging about the industry would be an interesting tack. Waiterblog.com was up and running for a year and a half before it was sold in August, 2006. UrbanDiner.ca is its successor. We launched on October 9th, 2006.

What do you usually blog about?
Anything to do with the restaurant scene in BC. Personnel changes, restaurant opening, commentary on the food media, wine and cocktails, et cetera. Our goal is to be more informative, more current, and more entertaining than anything that exists now in the traditional media and to make moot all the online dining guides out there that do nothing to help the restaurant community.

Can we believe everything you post on your blog?
I should think so. We've seperated the site into two components: church and state. The team of writers (there are ten of us) are the church, and Paul Kamon (co-founder/business development) is the state. He handles all the advertising and business relations for Urban Diner, and knows not to bother any of us about the editorial side. Our writers have carte blanche. Nothing is off the table and there are no sacred cows.

Do you have a favourite post from your blog?
We've only been up and running for five days.

Do you have any plans for your blog?
Bigger, better, and broader. The idea of going national with it is attractive, but we're focusing on what we know best, and right now that's BC.

What are some of the changes in Vancouver that you have seen in your lifetime?
I tend to see everything about Vancouver through the prism of our restaurants, and on that front I've been very impressed over the last few years. It keeps getting better and better.

What's happening in Vancouver right now that the rest of us should be watching?
The Canucks are without a second and third line and Luongo looks sketchy on the break away.

Do you think it rains excessively here?
I'm a Toronto import, so as long as we can still see the sidewalks in March I'm stoked.

Has blogging changed you or enhanced a personality trait?
I'm certainly more physically deformed than I was before I bought my laptop. The Hunchback of Notre Dame's got nothing on me. .

Has blogging ever put you into a bit of a predicament?
Sure. I write for the Westender, Eat Magazine, and Vancouver Magazine so I'm constantly at a loss for where to put the info I gather.

Have you had your 15 minutes yet?
I tend to embarrass either myself or other people whenever I'm on TV. I also get nauseously nervous. It might not translate on the screen, but I feel like puking on the boom mike whenever the lights go on.

Ever met a stranger who already knew you through your blog? How was that?
It happens quite a lot. It's an odd feeling. It's my nature to have little confidence in whatever it is I'm doing. It's always been very difficult for me to believe that what I write online will be of any interest to people, so whenever strangers come up to me and say they dig what I'm doing, I couldn't be more flattered.

If you could gather all of the bloggers of the world together into one room and tell them one thing, what would it be?
Write what you know.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Keep up the good work at Beyond Robson.