I have made a commitment to attend BlogHer or SXSW in 2009. I’ll admit I was getting a little depressed over missing BlogHer this weekend, which is stupid, since I hadn’t really seriously considered going until I heard about it a few weeks ago. Because I’m not a member of the powerblogosphere, I figured these shindigs were just weekend long marketing conventions, or day-long sessions where women just get up and talk about “mommy blogging.” And while I do enjoy many blogs that are written by women who are mothers, it’s not a group where I belong, not now or possibly ever.
I’ll admit to feeling a little uneasy about a hotel packed with thousands of blogging women who are smarter, better looking, and way more fashionable than me, it could be fun to meet some of my favorite bloggers in person. Years ago, admitting to someone that you’d made a friend “on the Internet” made you seem a little freakish, or at the very least lacking serious judgment. But times have certainly changed, and now the idea of meeting someone without having read their blog or communicated via Email first seems, well, WEIRD.
It was over IM that Pat (of the Booge) and Chad (of Gorn) and I started chatting back in 2000. This went on for years, and finally in 2004, we met for the first time. IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.
This was completely out of character for me. I was going through a divorce at the time that was taking a pretty huge emotional toll and probably wasn’t fully aware of all the decisions I was making, including driving to another country to stay an entire weekend with two guys I had never met in person, who could have very well been the axe-murdering/turn your skin into a lampshade types. But it turned out okay–they were merely Canadian–so hooray for meeting people on the Internet!
Plus, the last time I was anywhere for a conference, it involved concrete and heavy construction machines. I think BlogHer might be more my speed.
They have conventions for bloggers?
Hey, don’t ever underestimate yourself or think for a second that someone’s going to be smarter or better presented than yourself based on what you see online. Anyone can produce compelling written material, given enough time to compile and edit. And anyone can take a decent photo and stick it on a web page.
Just to give you an idea, I work with lawyers – lots of lawyers. Small town lawyers and big government lawyers. These are people who write papers and give lectures, and some who’ve been around the world practicing law in different countries dealing with some of the biggest players you can imagine. You might be intimidated by their presence, but you’d be surprised how many of them are simple, ordinary people who curse every other word and spend half their time with both feet in their mouths. They’re human, and just as flawed as anyone. Sometimes, they’re actually quite dim.
I’m sure you’ll have a great time!
This past weekend was my second BlogHer conference, and while I won’t necessarily admit that I attended many panels (or, well, any) either year, I will say, from my vantage, it’s definitely worth it to attend, if only for the social meet and greets and getting to see friendly faces you once only knew from behind a page. Some of my best friends are friends I met originally through blogging. Our friendship has developed into so much more than mere comments and emails, but that’s how it all started. It’s so crazy to think about that, but I love that, too.
I also love that there is such diversity online, with regard to moms and not moms and maybe moms, and never moms. I have been blessed enough to find a mix of women from within all of those groups that I now call my friends, but I completely know how you feel when you say that you don’t seem to fit in with a particular group of bloggers. I think we all feel that way, at one point or another, and maybe always will, to some extent.
(Hi! big long rambly comment.) All of that to say: I’m very much looking forward to meeting you next year. So I very much hope you really will come! (Let the peer pressuring begin! Heh.)