How BlogHer '07 was like a rousing game of 52 Pickup

Take everything I thought I knew about blogging. Shake well. Throw into the air. Now reassemble.

My favorite part of this weekend was the assortment of people I met. Not everyone comes to blogging for the same reasons, with the same level of obsession, with the same skills, or with the same goals.

I really thought that in my daily blog reading I had met or read a reasonable sampling of personal bloggers out there. Boy was I wrong.

I met women who blog only occasionally but wanted to come to see what all the fuss was about.

… women who aggressively use their blogs as tools in the fight for their beliefs or to turn against their enemies.

… women who use their blogs either as their business or in support of their business.

… women who form communities large and small with their blogs.

… women who quietly write their stories and find support they never knew existed.

I heard several people at the conference say that they wished there would be a separate conference just for “mommy bloggers,” but I’m not sure I’d go to something like that. I think of all the people I would have missed out on. One of the best parts of this conference for me was the variety of the attendees.

I am astounded at the breadth and variety of blogs, bloggers, motivations, and topics. I no longer wonder if in 10 years blogging will have died out. I don’t see how that would be possible. We all have too much to say.

(I know, I know, shut the fuck up already about BlogHer. Not today.)


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18 responses to “How BlogHer '07 was like a rousing game of 52 Pickup”

  1. MammaLoves Avatar

    I completely agree with your perspective about benefits of the variety of bloggers. That too was what I found to be the most wonderful part of the conference. Of course, the list of people I must go visit has now just tripled.

  2. DD Avatar

    Was it the Mommy Bloggers who wished they had their own conference or were it the Anything But Mommy Bloggers?

    Just curious about the attitude.

  3. Plain Jane Mom Avatar

    DD: Good question, sorry I wasn’t clear. It was mommy bloggers who requested it.

  4. Kara Avatar

    Interesting…I can only imagine how overwhelming it would be to see so many bloggers in one place.

  5. Jennifer Avatar

    It’s fine by me if you keep talking about BlogHer…I’ve enjoyed your perspective!

    Love your page design, it loooks great!!!!

  6. Mom on Coffee Avatar

    I love hearing about THE must attend event of the year. Bummed I couldn’t be there, but I’ll just live vicariously through all of you who did go!

    BTW, I have moved: momoncoffee.com

  7. Christina Avatar

    I was one of the folks who wanted a mommyblogger conference, but certainly not to replace going to this one! I’d just like another one to really get at the issues that were barely touched on during the momosphere panel. I don’t think there was enough time to give any issue a full consideration.

    If there was a mommyblogger conference, I’d go to it, and I’d still come to BlogHer to meet more people and attend panels on tech and professional aspects.

  8. Alex Elliot Avatar

    I really enjoyed meeting you! I also loved BlogHer. It reminded me of college; I went to a women’s college. I don’t know if I would want to go to a whole conference on mommy bloggers because honestly what I really enjoyed was hanging out with people and most of the people I hung out with weren’t mommy bloggers. I think that it would have been nice though to have the mommy blogging talk in a) a bigger room and b) in small groups.

  9. JJ Avatar
    JJ

    Please don’t shut up about BlogHer, I’d like MORE! I’d love to see you take your twitter stuff and any other notes and do a post about each session, what you learned, links to examples, etc.

    From the little bit that I participated via Second Life, I was quite intrigued to see there be a distinction between Mommy Bloggers and not. I can see where it can be looked down upon to be “just a mommy blogger” (much like “just a mom”) and yet, I think blogging is one of the best tools yet for mommies! This is the first blog I’ve commented on and yet I’ve felt like I’ve been supported so much simply by reading mommy blogs — knowing that my kids aren’t the only ones that pile everything up, drive me crazy, etc.

    I think a spinoff Mommy BlogHer event, much like the business bloggers one, would be fantastic b/c I was frustrated that some of the sessions that would’ve applied very well to the momosphere steered away into much different areas, i.e. the privacy session.

    BTW, having Second Life as an option was terrific! Not as good as being there, but certainly better than nothing!

  10. Liz Avatar

    Speaking as a first timer, attending a conference of this size – and mostly comprised of women – is overwhelming, indeed.

    It was so nice to meet you – even though we shared only a few words waiting for a shuttle, or cab – I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on the conference, as well.

    See ya.

  11. Dana Avatar

    It was so great to meet you at BlogHer this year! And, thanks so much for visiting with me at the W Hotel lobby on Sunday. It definitely made the time wonderful!

    :)

    I hope to see you next year, too!

  12. Suzanne Avatar

    Many of my favorite moments of the conference were hanging out with you. I am so glad that we got to meet (and sorry that pizza night got a little out of hand). I’ll just have to settle for going back to spending time with you online.

  13. My Minivan Is Faster Than Yours Avatar

    I love hearing about BlogHer and all the fun I’m going to have there this time next year :)

  14. Kyran Avatar

    I would like to have a separate conference of all the bloghers I somehow did not get to meet at all or chat nearly enough with. I am leap frogging from one wrap up post to the next, and thinking over and over, where was this person? Where was I?

    I think I lost valuable networking time by being hungover all day Friday. Lesson learned.

    I’m so sorry I missed you. Same time, next year?

    k

  15. Jazz Avatar

    I completely agree with you. I would have loved more time to get to meet people. It was great to sit and yell at you in the dark! LOL!

    love,

    Jazz

  16. motherbumper Avatar

    I’d attend a separate mommyblogger conference but I wouldn’t miss BlogHer 07 for the same reason as you and what other said – it’s amazing to meet so many women who all have the same passion for writing, but so few do it for the same reason or on the same topics. I found it mindblowing as a first time attendee. But I wish I had gone to the State of the Mommosphere BUT I wanted to attend two other presentations at the same time – GAH – it was so hard to decide but I did get a lot from the ones I bounced between.

  17. Heather Avatar

    That’s what I love about the blogging community. On any given day, while clicking through my blogroll, I can find posts that are sexy, funny, educational, sad, or conversational.

    I love the diversity of the blogosphere. I think I would have enjoyed BlogHer. I may have to consider attending next year.

  18. Kim Avatar

    Talk about 52 card pickup-I must’ve gathered at least that many business/blog cards and have only scratched the surface trying to check out the new blogs! So many blogs, so little time.

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