BlogNashville: Seen & Heard
Okay, now that my computer is back to normal... let's get back to the FUN stuff!!!
I realize that I have GOT to be the very last person on Earth left to comment on this past weekend's national Blogging conference held on the Belmont campus in Nashville, Tennessee.
But, in keeping with our style here at The FUN Times Guide, here is my FUN perspective of the Blogger conference... A delightfully refreshing view of Blog Nashville and the many people that were there.
Things Seen And Heard At Blog Nashville
Amidst the photos that we took at the conference, the following phrases were overheard at (or in writings about) Blog Nashville.
There Were Distinguished Guests...
"...Bloggers are "content producers" and "web producers." (as opposed to "writers" and "webmasters")
-- overheard at Friday's Blogging/Journalism Panel in reference to the fact that blogging is becoming a respected form of journalism)
"...The old media are in trouble. They have the demographics of Matlock."
-- overheard at the conference by Andy Wibbels
"...Bloggers are leading the personal media revolution."
-- overheard at Friday's Blogging/Journalism Panel
"...So far it's a success -- but I'll start talking soon, and then things will probably go downhill."
-- Glenn Reynolds
"...Blogging IS journalism... it is "informed opinion", not just commentary... it has been researched and has links to referenced support material."
-- overheard at Friday's Blogging/Journalism Panel
There Were Bloggers...
"...The place was bustling with bloggers of all types."
-- Jill Presley
"...A great many people (myself included) travelled to be at BlogNashville, and they spent the time looking at their screens, rather than the people around them."
-- Adam Shostack
"...There was a complex feedback system while the conference was happening that extended from "near real-time" to the following day and later."
-- Tim Schmoyer
"...The attendance is dominated by middle-aged white guys. Maybe I can make it to BlogHerCon."
-- Andy Wibbels
"...Single Girls Plz."
-- Mr. Roboto
"...A lot of light bulbs went off when 300-plus bloggers met up in Tennessee."
-- Mark Glaser
There Were Parties...
"...People were antsy to get to The Official BlogNashville Welcome Party."
-- Brittney
"...Who knew that blogging about nightlife and entertainment would become to our culture what polyester was to the '70's?"
-- Jill Presley
"...Bloggers are the garage bands of the Internet."
-- overheard at Henry Copeland's session by Glenn Reynolds
There Were Famous People...
"...He's a larger-than-life guy. (in reference to John Jay Hooker)
-- Les Jones
"...Now, meet your leader. Glenn Reynolds is, as the New York Post's John Podhoretz wrote last month, the 'acknowledged king of the bloggers.'"
-- Roger Abramson
"...BlogNashville sessions are modeled after Dave Winer's popular and influential BloggerCon series of events held in recent years."
-- B.L. Ochman
"...It was a rather surreal moment that I was able to catch on camera  John Jay Hooker reading the U.S. Constitution to a couple of bloggers inside a gay bar."
-- Eric Janssen
"...apparently she's a web-celeb!"
-- Tim Schmoyer
There Was Friendly Discussion...
"...I'm sitting in Dan Gilmore's Citizen Media session, where we've thoroughly discussed my Herb Newton Nissan issue. We had a lot of great discussions about what is and is not acceptable, and most said I'm just waiting to get sued."
-- Evan Erwin
"...When you have a room full of people who are bloggers, basically people who want their opinion out there, you really can't get a word in edgewise."
-- Mike Kelley
"...A blogger has ALWAYS got something to say... but give him a microphone and all you hear is blah, blah, blah, blah!"
-- overheard between sessions on Saturday
"...Blogging is a form of branded entertainment."
-- overheard at Friday's Blogging/Journalism Panel
"...I think that within a year or so we'll see videobloggers beginning to compete with television news operations -- especially local television news operations -- in quite a few places."
-- J.D. Lasica
Personal note: I can't remember who this guy is, but he asked some of the most in-depth questions in each and every session he attended.
There Was Controversy...
"...It was like Jerry Springer except everyone had their teeth." (a reference to the session entitled, "A Respectful Disagreement" which was moderated by Dave Winer)
-- Brittney
"...I just wanted to roll my eyes, throw up my hands in surrender and have this 'train wreck' come to a quick and merciful end."
-- Stan Brown
"...You can't call a son of a bitch a son of a bitch without calling a man a son of a bitch."
-- John Jay Hooker as quoted by B.L. Ochman
---> View video clip from "A Respectful Disagreement
"...Dave did exactly what I had hoped when I invited him to lead the session. I expected that Dave would provoke the most exciting, memorable session of the entire weekend and he delivered - in spades."
-- Bob Cox
It Made The Local News...
---> Tennessean article, "Bloggers: We Can Help Media"
It Made The National News...
---> Associated Press article, "Pajama Party? Bloggers Meet in National Confab"
--->More about the Documentary on Blogging
I Couldn't Have Said It Better...
"...It was a hoot, or a waste of time."
-- Joe Lance
"...Two recurring themes of BlogNashville were making money, and video."
-- Glenn Reynolds (via Rex Hammock)
"...I'm also wondering why none of the "big" blogging companies didn't attend?" (in reference to SixApart, WordPress, and Blogger)
-- Mike Kelley
"...Re-fueled and ready to raise the bar."
-- Joe Lance
"...Nothing I learned at BlogNashville was as good as this: 'How to Blog,' by Tony Pierce.
-- Mr. Roboto
Blog Nashville... Summarized
Thanks to Bob Cox and Bill Hobbs, who organized this whole conference!
These are my favorite summaries of Blog Nashville:
OMG, you guys WERE paying attention!! :) This is a terrific summation (great pix, too!)
I am so glad that the two of you came to BlogNashville, it was a pleasure to meet and chat with you.