Blogging with the Bloggers

Today I am liveblogging from Yearly Kos, the first convention of bloggers who write and read on Daily Kos. The convention brings together bloggers from around the US to talk and debate how the netroots can organize for progressive change in this country. For me it's an eye-opening experience. About 900 people are attending. Laptops are everywhere in evidence. Bloggers report in real time about the panels they are attending. Others sit in the hallways, plugged into a convenient outlet, doing whatever. I am sitting in the back of a large room where a panel is going on. I have a table and electric outlet--my battery no longer holds a charge--where I've had a chance to check email, read a few blogs and catch up on news.

The conference has been instructive. Yesterday I attended a panel on Pundit Training, where consultants from thinkprogress.org offered tips for would be pundits. In addition to the discussion, we had opportunity to do a two minute interview on tape. I was interviewed on the Iraq war where I was blindsided with the news of Zarqaqwi's death and the completion of the Iraqi government. I had to think quick but and thought I was pretty inarticulate but the comments were favorable. Seeing myself on video is always disconcerting but it's a good way to learn. Two minutes afer I was done I thought of many things I could/should have said. That's learning.

There were regional conferences. Arizona and Colorado were well represented in the Rocky Mountain caucus. Wyoming, Idaho and New Mexico weren't represented at all. Utah had no blogs but two readers were there. One was a 70 year old grandmother recently retired from California to St. George, Utah who is outraged at the reactionary ofpolitics of her new home. She said she has been reluctant to comment or write diaries but received much encouragement from the group, as did others.

Overall, the conference has made me realize that I need to make more effort to get my words out beyond the average seven readers per day that I now have. At this point what I write just disappears into the ether. I want more. I want to effect change. Meeting all the other bloggers has given me some ideas about how I can do that.

Plus, it's just great being among intelligent, progressive, thinking people.