and these are the days of our blogs

Oh goodness, no one told me it was a popularity contest! Wow. I feel so honored that I have won? Lost? by just sorting out how to know the way to San Jose. Well, actually, I guess Denise did but ...
I have to say something here. Conferences give a "legitimate" reason for women to travel without kids, and flip the whole dynamic of a relationship around.

Well what's annoying is that women need some legitimate reason to travel in the first freaking place, ya know?

I don't get the whole popularity contest thing - though as you know I didn't attend last year. From the outside, it didn't look like a popularity contest to me. Mena sat on the freaking floor in at least one instance. I didn't see anyone sitting on a big dias reigning over the other chicks, which is what happens at events like blogon.

And folks, have you not noticed that Blogher organizers asked for blogher editors - and you didn't have to be attending to join up. And, do you not hear them asking for speakers - they aren't asking "A list women" they're asking you and me and anyone who is listening.

Oops, I need to get back to work - doggone it. (Hey, are you going to Northern Voice????? I've been meaning to ask you ...)

Colour me uninformed/out of the loop/whatever. I had no idea such controversy existed about BlogHer! What blogs am I am not reading?

people need to get their head out of their collective ass. we had fun, we talked about it, just as other people do about their "real life" friends. people who spoke via IM, email, comments, blogs etc, hooked up, the same way other people meet again "in real life". people might have been shy, but no one was exclusionary. i am a very open, generous and friendly person IN PERSON, but i am not going to hand hold every freakin' BlogHer attendee so they don't feel left out. PLEASE COME. I will definitely approach those "i know" already, as well as those i don't, but there will be almost 1000 people there this year and i don't have time to keep up my secret notebook of who is cool and who isn't. Are we not all equals?

this isn't directed at Jess, per say, but those who have these feelings of the popularity contest business. (which is annoying me in case you couldn't tell) you wouldn't see this bull shit talked about AT ALL if this was BlogHim.

also, i am a contributing editor for "Canadian blogging" on the BlogHer website. email me if you have a suggestion for a good she-canadian blog.

For me, personally, it's a non-issue -- there's no way I could afford to go. If I could, I think I would go, although I would be really, *really* nervous and would probably try to find some other Canadian blogger to meet up with so I didn't have to walk in alone. LOL.

I think, Jess, you make an excellent point with this: "I think that any conference that encourages women who are otherwise trapped inside their lives to get up and get together and learn, and network and bond is a good thing. Speaking as a stay-at-home mother i can't think of any other instance where i would be given the opportunity to travel to a conference." Being very new to the wide, wonderful world of blogging, I haven't given BlogHer much thought, but I think this statement is bang-on.

I think it's awesome! that you're going (See? You're not the only one who says "Awesome!" a lot, LOL) and I hope you have a great time, meet fabulous bloghers and learn tons of neat new tricks. ;)

i concur, excellent point about the travel to the conference for us moms.

sorry to get so hot and bothered, but, honestly, my feelings are hurt about this whole business.

and dude, i saw AWESOME all the freakin time.

jenB you are awesome so you should say it, all of the time!

mama_tulip, I didn't get to go last year but I still enjoyed BlogHer from afar - in the chatroom is how I met drowning in kids and supafine! So even if you can't go this year you can still be part of it - we won't leave you out!

:-)

Jen, really no need to apologize. I was a little confused that you were lumping me in with a group of opinions tthat i don't really have.

I think all the anti-blogher stuff is crap and it makes me sad.

xxoo

Thanks, Denise!

I just re-read my comment; there should be limit to how many times I say "I think" in one comment. *sigh*

Word. I am working on a way to get there myself. Didn't even THINK about it being any kind of popularity contest or anything. I would just love the opportunity to learn more about blogging, and meet some women who make their mark on the world in the same way. If I can't get there, I guess I will just have to do a little vicarious living through you. I hope you have a great time!

i love you guys. thanks. this has been tormenting me, seriously, all evening. i am way too sensitive. i have some negative comments from others about last year today too, i am a little raw.

I was there last year, NOBODY knew who i was, and let's see, I chatted with Heather Armstrong, Mrs. Kennedy, the amazing and I love her so much JenB. uh, Grace Davis gave me a ride (even though we'd never met until the night before), and lots of other women who were already established, too. so I don't get what the whole 'popularity contest' thing stems from. Maybe the people who were too nervous to try and talk to the totally down to earth rock star bloggers? I'm just sayin. I will see you there, Jess. I am so looking forward to meeting you!

okay, i'm basically still new to this whole blog community-thing, but i don't really think this is "anti blogher" talk. i think, like me, a lot of women have no interest in the technical workings of blogging, have no interest in attending lectures, and, i can only speak for myelf here, don't feel like they really belong at such a thing with all the big time bloggers. i don't care about any of that. i am seriously tempted to go to meet the excellently awesome women i've met face-to-face, like you, jess, but would feel like i'm crashing a party where i don't really belong, you know?

as far as the popularity contest thing, it was pretty obvious to an outider (me) last year who the "in" crowd was -- it didn't have to be intentional. i don't think it's anything to get worked up over, though. i dunno. it's too early for coherent thought. you don't know who i am, but if you bitches see me at blogher you'd better be nice! maybe i'll wear a shirt that says "blog fraud." heh.

this has been weighing on my mind, too, jess and JenB -- the backlash is starting already, and day two isn't even planned yet. to me, the whole point of blogher is that it's a place for women, all women, involved in blogging to get together and talk about their passions. in which case, debbie, you would not be crashing at all. you blog and that's enough. [and i really really want you to go! please go!]

The in-crowd out-crowd thing: that bears much further thinking and discussion, i think, about why people feel that way and what can be done about it. Because i don't deny that feeling is there, i just think it's destructive to what blogher is [should be?] all about. i also think it's preemptive. as has been said by many considered "in", that feeling of looking down on others just isn't there. the love is. can we accept that? i dunno. but i hope so.

sorry to hijack again, jess. i should really make my own post about it.

Whoa, I didn't know there was any anti-BlogHer talk. The very nature of large get togethers is that someone (or someones) will be more popular, known or whatever, than the average attendee. So what? Yeah, last year I made cracks about the "popular kids", but I only felt left out because I didn't go. I LOVED (got it, LOVED) all of the posts about people meeting.

Also, the reason some of the women are more "popular" than others is because they've been blogging longer (harder and uncut too) than other women. I'm naturally going to gravitate to people who have more entries because I feel like I "know" them better.

My only concern about blogher - I don't want to see pictures of myself floating around. If I didn't doctor it, I don't want to see it. So, you people in the "in crowd", don't think I don't want to be seen in public with you, but well, I don't...want to be seen, that is. :) But, we can have a party in my room, if you know what mean.

And hey, Debbie, don't feel badly, I'll be known as the person who isn't Finslippy. I can hear it now, "Flippy? Cool, I'm so excited to meet you. Wait, did you say Flippy, I thought you said Finslippy. Never mind."

From what I understand, last year some 40% of the women attending were beginner bloggers. Also my impression is that there were no lectures, but rather discussions that included the attendees in a very real way. (Why would a women's conference simply mirror all the bad things about mainstream (aka male-dominated) conferences? :p)

Popularity contest? Sounds like smack from someone who didn't appreciate women doing things without him. Next thing we'll hear is how "strident" and "hysterical" BlogHer defenders have been in this thread is. Would anyone be surprised? /snark