One of the lovely, intelligent women writers I met at the BlogHer conference is Sandy, of the award-winning blog Momisodes. I quote her:
. . . . . . I cannot help but wonder if the idea behind BlogHer is really for me. Perhaps it was the endless swag attendees clamored to get their hands on, the loud parties where you could hardly carry a conversation, or the break out sessions focused on SEO, branding, and monetization that made me question if I really fit into this world of blogging.
Not to mention, well before the 2009 event had ended, they announced the dates and location for the 2010 convention and began registration. Many of us who attended last week still have yet to even pay off the huge expense it was to attend this year.
My response to Sandy:
As the Spanish would say: de acuerdo. Thank you for your critical thinking. I too appreciate that BlogHer is empowering lots of women writers like you and me. However, I too have major reservations about BlogHer’s commercialism. And even though I normally love cocktail parties and stimulating conversation, I skipped the evening events altogether at BlogHer, realizing that 1,500 attendees means we can’t hear each other over the din.
Concerning your other point, I’d encourage all of us to not go into debt to attend BlogHer 2010 in New York City. If we can’t afford something in the present or save for it, it’s usually a signal we can’t afford it. When we choose to live within our means, we help other people do the same thing. Moderating our consumption conserves the earth’s resources as well as our own.
I wholeheartedly agree with you and Lou that it (whether BlogHer or life in general) is not about you and it’s not about me. It’s about us. This is the creed I try to live by. Thank you for stating it so succinctly.
Such a pleasure to meet you, Sandy.
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Thank you so much Alison. It was a pleasure to meet you as well. What you’ve said here makes so much sense, and thank you for sharing your insight as well on my site.