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The First Panel and the Opening Speech

I have to give you my notes from Katie Orenstein’s absolutely brilliant Op-Ed panel and the pictures from the blogger lunch, but first, I wanted to upload these pics from Briar’s panel. I went to the first panel called MommyBlogging: Have You Found Your MommyBlogging Tribe. Which is sort of funny to have an IF blogger in there, but she is a mommy nonetheless.

The other bloggers on the panel were Megan Jordan (Velveteen Mind), Kelby Carr (Type A Mom), Renee Ross (Cutie Booty Cakes), and Briar Sauro (Unwellness).


I ended up having to leave midway due to a broken necklace incident (the twins had kissed it before I left and I was absolutely nut-job about having it around my neck), but I wrote down some really interesting thoughts:

  • Because IF is so emotional, we blog every moment of it to process it. But what happens afterwards, when you don’t need to talk as much. It’s hard to move from IF blogger to mommyblogger.
  • When a blogger gets under stress, that’s when people blog more. Connect more.
  • Jump into what you want to do. Never be afraid to comment. You do not need an invitation to connect with another person.
  • Meeting people face-to-face is like “live commenting.”

For me, this panel brought it back to the importance of the comment. How that is where community is built. If not, you’re just sitting alone with your words. Hence why we should all do IComLeavWe. Just saying…the next list opens at the end of the month.

The CEOs of BlogHer at the opening discussion (Elisa, Jory, and Lisa)

Just to give you a sense of the scope of the room.

The day kicked off with a discussion on blogging with Elisa, Jory, and Lisa, the CEOs of BlogHer. They are such great speakers and they set a wonderful tone to the conference–balancing fun with information. They announced at BlogHer ’10 will be in New York. I would like to set up a dinner/social event for ALI bloggers either the night before or the night after–something that doesn’t compete with the established conference events, but that allows those going to the conference to mix with those in the area. So…set out Sunday, August 6th on your calendar right now and we’ll have a lunch or an afternoon activity or a dinner. Yes, we are finally going to have our own ALI event and tack it on so people can travel once and see a lot of people.

Coming up next time I post…the ALI lunch, the brilliant Op-Ed session, and my community keynote props (I hope someone tapes it!).

7 comments

1 caitsmom { 07.24.09 at 2:52 pm }

Very cool.

2 annacyclopedia { 07.24.09 at 3:03 pm }

I love your thoughts on the panel – it's definitely been my experience that I write more when I'm under stress and the transition from IF stuff to pregnancy stuff and eventually, hopefully, to motherhood stuff is very hard. I also completely agree with you about the power of the comment, and I've found that even though I'm not writing much these days, I'm still commenting quite a lot. Either on my friends' blogs or on strangers' blogs that I find through the LFCA (hugs and mad props to you for the LFCA, Mel – it rules and so do you!)

It seems to me that even though I don't need to process as much stuff right now, or rather that the stuff I'm processing is quite pleasant so I'm able to enjoy doing it on my own rather than blogging about it, I still really love to be in the community. And commenting is the best way to do that, hands down.

Hope your necklace got fixed and thanks for the many updates. Makes me feel like I'm part of the whole thing despite being in my quiet little office today.

3 Lorza { 07.24.09 at 3:20 pm }

You ROCK with the updates Mel. I am so excited for you to be able to meet all these bloggy people! I love your thoughts also. I have noticed a few of the blogs I was following have slacked off after pregnancy, or just stopped…that makes me sad- I want to follow it all the way through!!! I am generally not a "ugh, she is pregnant now- I am deleting her from my reader" kinda follower. I genuinely get excited for them.

I like to hear of all the mundane stuff..but you are right- we do then to comment more when people are under stress. I have noticed that on my blog. I try to leave comments no matter what, but sometimes that doesn't happen.

I really hope to get to come to NY next year!! That would be awesome!!

4 Delenn { 07.24.09 at 5:05 pm }

Yay for it being in NYC next year!! I would love to come and hope that I will be able to–and to go to the ALI lunch!

Thanks for the updates, Mel!

5 Queenie. . . { 07.24.09 at 7:50 pm }

I am loving the updates. I think all of your thoughts oin this post are spot-on (as always). And I am so jealous that you got to meet Cecily in person! I think she's so amazing.

6 wifey { 07.24.09 at 10:48 pm }

oooh, NY! That's where most of my family lives – perfect excuse for a trip home!

7 Kristin { 07.25.09 at 12:18 am }

Wooohooo…New York ROCKS! I might just be able to make it.

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