Am I the only female blogger who did not go to the BlogHer Conference and/or did not have any interest in going? Seems like many of the other bloggers I read (both women and men) either went or wanted to go. I just don’t see the point in going to a conference where the only thing we have in common that we are all women who blog. The whole “rejoice in the sisterhood and take back the night from the blog patriarchy” kind of thing doesn’t do much for me. I certainly don’t mean to put down those who did go, because I’m sure they got a lot out of it. It’s just not my thing. I also hate clothes shopping, the color pink and never played with Barbies. Maybe I just didn’t get the gene.
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Nedra helps nonprofits and public agencies create positive change on health and social issues through social marketing and transmedia storytelling strategies at Weinreich Communications since founding the company in 1995. She helps organizations make a difference for the populations they serve by strategically designing programs that draw on state-of-the-art behavior change techniques, digital media approaches and the power of stories. 
I think the main thing everyone had in common was a passion for blogging. Most sessions had nothing to do with gender by direct subject matter. So, if you’d be interested in going to *any* conference about blogging, you’d probably be interested in BlogHer too. Or not, you know, it’s up to you 🙂
Nedra,
Kind of ironic that “sisterhood” can be so polarizing isn’t it?
Marianne
I’m not trying to be divisive — I would just rather go to a conference related to the subject matter I write about rather than related to what sex I am. But kudos to the BlogHer organizers for creating something that filled a need for so many other people.
Hi Nedra,
I’ve been on the fence about this one. BlogHer sounds pretty interesting, but so far I haven’t explored it. Blogging is a lot of fun. But I’m not sure if I would need to go to an event especially for women.
It’s probably similar to my current philosophy about most organizations for business women. They’re great to meet people, but to get down to the meat and potatoes, it’s important to focus on something other than gender.
I went last year and again this year – and if anything – it is a great networking opportunity. And if all else failed, it would have been fun to hang out with you! Try to come to Chicago next year …
Beth,
From your blog posts, it sounded like you really enjoyed the conference, along with many other people. The subject and focus just doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sure I would have had a great time hanging out with you, but maybe we can find another venue. L.A. in September, perhaps? 🙂
I think there’s something to be said for a conference that centers women as learners, users, and innovators of technology. Women may feel lost in the crowds of men at the typical tech conference. BlogHer has a different vibe.
I think, too, that many women would feel intimidated asking questions about technology in a conference room packed with a hundred or more men. BlogHer provides a safe environment for women to discuss tech practice and theory without worrying about having to represent all women at a male-dominated conference.
I very much enjoyed the conference for these and other reasons.