Putting the BlogHer Dooce / The Bloggess Drama In Perspective

I attended BlogHer08. I attended the closing keynote. I was there for the so-called Dooce v. The Bloggess drama. My claim to fame. I didn't think it was much drama but it has spawned much debate and discussion in the blogosphere. So, what happened? In brief, in this blog, The Bloggess called Dooce a hobbit, and at BlogHer08, Heather aka Dooce mentioned the comment, but not the author, in her keynote address about how she reads every comment, and then Jenny stood up and said "Hey, that was me!" and said some more stuff. And it became THE DRAMATIC moment at the conference.

And I didn't really get it - although I'm not sure I would like being called a hobbit, but I probably would being a sci fi/fantasy geek anyway - because Jenny's post was actually flattering - as in Heather is similar to a being of mythical proportions because of how hugely famous she is. So I wasn't sure why Heather said anything about it, although perhaps it just happened to be the comment that she remembered while she was giving her keynote. And I also didn't get it because Heather was gracious and friendly - she wasn't doing anything more than commenting about how she does indeed read all the comments - the good, the bad, the hateful, the indifferent - so I'm not sure why Jenny said anything at all. And then I obviously didn't understand everything that was said during the keynote, so I missed something, because I didn't think it was the important moment. But it nonetheless became THE DRAMATIC moment. The moment that has been talked about long after the conference.

I read Dooce weekly - I think Heather is funny, touching and raw. And she has been a leader for all of us women bloggers - her success has made it so much easier for the rest of us. Plus, she has succeeded by being herself and succeeded hugely. And I also like Jenny's The Bloggess. To be frank, her blogs are so f-ing funny that I usually end up laughing so hard I snort, and sometimes even tinkle a little. Yes, having given birth vaginally, that happens, despite being a Olympic Kegel-er. In other words, I admire both of them and like their blogs - don't send my hate mail or think I'm being critical - this is just a comment on how stuff gets blown out of proportion.

But, in any event, I was reading the twitter happenings today, and a fellow twitter that I follow, twittered "Who is Heather? What drama?" And then a bit later, the same twitterer - "Heather, she has ten trillion followers - has she been twittering since birth?" And my point - the drama doesn't really mean all that much.

My husband would rather sit on the curb then attend the village that is BlogHer '08

My husband informed me while we were in bed, as I was falling into an exhausted slumber, that he is going to Boston. When is he going? At the exact same time I'm supposed to go to BlogHer '08, and he was supposed to watch the kids. Of course he forgot - his social secretary function never works.

The reason I'm telling you this is because it resulted in a discussion about what BlogHer '08 is, and he found out it is mostly women bloggers. And, that led to me telling him a story about talking to a senior partner at my firm about blogging. Both my husband and the senior partner don't really know what blogging is or that there is an extensive blogosphere, and dismiss it as a fad. I attempted to tell my husband a funny story about talking with the senior partner about tweeting, but my husband interrupted me:

"Just tell me the reader's digest version. It's 11 o'clock."

"But it isn't as funny if I condense it. And your the one that started this conversation this late."

"Reader's digest version."

So, I obliged him. Which wasn't funny. 3 sentences instead of several paragraphs. And then I had an epiphany.

"You and [senior partner] aren't interested in blogging because you want the reader's digest version of life. No emotional bonding and sharing." And I think that is it. Or at least a part of it. I like the community. I think mommy blogging is such a hit because we all want help, or at least to feel like we are not alone. I like knowing I'm not the only one having certain problems or thoughts. It takes a village to raise a child - and this is our village. So I shared this thought with my husband. And then, back to our conversation about the logistics of him going to Boston and the children. And, I asked him if wanted to go to the BlogHer '08 on Saturday if he was flying in late Friday night. My emotionally-stunted husband's reply?

"Attend a conference with a thousand women bloggers talking about blogging? I'd rather sit on the curb in front of the hotel the entire day."

And he has no idea with tweeting is.