  On Thursday night I went to meet a selection of Brighton ( and Hove's)  urlLink finest bloggers .  The notion of a blogging community is a slightly odd one,  not least when you have not yet established yourself within the community.  I have been,
 then,  a member of the Brighton Bloggers web ring for several months,  but in that time my interaction with them has been slim;  I've linked to a few,  and had the odd link back,  and read a few,
 and -  perhaps -  been read by a few in return.  But a community obviously works along some sense of 'togetherness',  the suggestion of some sympathy,  some mutual purpose or -
 more simply -  friendship.  Not knowing anyone,  my being part of a 'community' is little more than a nice idea.  But the people I met were really nice,  and talented too.
 I know that it's perfectly possible to create a community online ( indeed Live Journal does all that stuff perfectly well)  and thus make the meeting up side of things redundant,  but I think there's a definite correlation between meeting people and reading about them;  unless you are willing to dredge the recesses of every part of your personal life,  one's blog will always be the equivalent of somebody's holiday snaps;
 momentarily revealing yet in need of some kind of narrative to make it mean something .  Oh,  I don't know,  why,  why should it have to mean something ,  I guess.
 But still.  Reading people's blogs,  though,  makes more sense after you have shared a beer -  for me,  if no-
one else.  I find that I stop scanning for information,  for a start,  and begin to just enjoy the prose for a while.  Perhaps I am far too curious to be a good blog- reader,
 forever looking for proof,  for identity,  an inveterate google- searcher,  utterly frustrated when no clues can be found.  Maybe all it is is that meeting someone and saying hallo means I can skip the 'archive' buttons when I arrive at the site;
 feel more qualified just to sit and read,  which is the fun of blogs.  Whatever,  it's always slightly intimidating,  slightly exciting and slightly peculiar introducing yourself to a new set of people ( although it was nice that urlLink Andrew was there,
 who of course I know)  but reassuring to find it pleasant,  although I suppose I'm pretty good at getting on with new people.  Sharing geographical location as a reference point rather than,  say,  an interest in american indie rock from 1989 to 94 or the novels of Martin Amis,
 the blogs of Brighton are a mixed bag,  but meeting is testament to the fact that you can write about XML,  XTC or ecstacy and it doesn't mean you won't get along.  Instead I find myself looking forward to the next opportunity to meet.  A short introduction to the Brighton bloggers;  urlLink (
and pictures here)  urlLink Yummy Wakame urlLink Andy Budd urlLink Scarlet urlLink Jane and Richard's Yak and Natter urlLink Adactio urlLink iJosh urlLink Bedsit Bomber Blog urlLink Pete Barr- Watson and here's a photo of me,  too,  with a pint.  And Andrew.
