Surfette

Happy Labor Day!

Can't believe I'm typing this, but I'm headed out for a week of vacation off-grid... While I'm away, Lauren Gelman will guest-blog Legal Blog Watch for me and, of course, Elisa Camahort and Jory Des Jardins are masterminding BlogHer.

Gently...peeling...fingers from keyboard...

BlogHer's next (baby) steps

Cross-posted from BlogHer.org

Elisa, Jory and I met earlier this week to:
(a) confess that we are failing miserably at taking vacations from BlogHer, and
(b) start making lists about lists for BlogHer '06 and beyond. Far beyond.

I can and should elaborate a little, thanks to the excellent question that Debi/Mobile Jones just asked about the status of BlogHer's relationship with Blogsheroes (announced here in May).

Thanks Debi - I can clarify. First I would like to thank Liza Sabater, who did BlogHer a massive favor in the spring when she offered up her site, BlogSheroes, as a temporary wiki-like collaborative community for BlogHer.  I approached Liza after watching her work in CivicSpace with brownbloggers.com and dailygotham. (This was no small sacrifice on Liza's part -- she didn't realize part of her job would be to walk me through code.) Thank you Liza.

Now that BlogHer '05 has come and gone, we're uncoupling the two sites. Because BlogHer still does not and never will have a political affiliation. In fact, every time I'm asked, I say specifically  that BlogHer is not an agenda -- it's an opportunity for all women bloggers to grow our exposure, education and community. As such, it is not appropriate for BlogHer.org to affiliate with one part of the political spectrum. And as we've seen, before during and after July 30, women bloggers defy stereotypes, representing an excitingly diverse spectrum of opinions and beliefs.

At the same time, the-force-that-is-Liza has some fabulous plans for Blogsheroes, including the political and progressive ad network Debi mentions elsewhere in her post. (But I'm no spoiler! She'll have to tell everyone herself, perhaps when she's back from the conference in Canada she's attending this week.)

Baby steps: BlogHer Conference '06 and beyond

As we move forward, toward a 2006 conference and much more, the community is pushing BlogHer.org to evolve. Big time.  Elisa, Jory and I are beginning work to plan BlogHer '06 and to plan for a new BlogHer community platform, one designed to equip BlogHers with the many capabilities we all say we want.

You are proving essential to this effort -- via your posts, individual mother-of-all-to-do-lists, completed surveys and comments on the BlogHer blog. We are reading you as fast as we can.

We also look forward to working with you -- if you have offered to volunteer or to help in any other, we have your offer in hand. We're just not quite ready to act on it. Please bear with us -- we'll be in touch in September.

Until then, the very best thing you can do to support BlogHer is:

- Take the BlogHer survey (and if you have already, thank you!) The survey link I emailed all attendees is where you confirm that you'd like to volunteer and/or receive the email updates we'll begin in the end of September.  If you've lost track of the email and  need me to resend it, please email me at lisa.l.stone-at-gmail.com.

- Join the Speaker's Wiki started by Mary Hodder. Are you aware that a cable news producer was at BlogHer on July 30 solely for the purpose of hunting amazing women bloggers? The world wants you, ladies, so get thee hence to Mary's fantastic list of speakers. Don't just rely on the BlogHerRoll, amazing though it is. Stand up and be counted.

Lastly, thank you now and in advance for your patience. The emails keep coming and we're doing our best to get our lives back on track so we can focus again on BlogHer.

Best,
Lisa (or She Who Is Surrounded by Packing Boxes and Still Working on Her Mother of All To-Do Lists)

Elisa, Jory and I met earlier this week to:
(a) confess that we are failing miserably at taking vacations from BlogHer, and
(b) start making lists about lists for BlogHer '06 and beyond. Far beyond.

I can and should elaborate a little, thanks to the excellent question that Debi/Mobile Jones just asked about the status of BlogHer's relationship with Blogsheroes (announced here in May).

Thanks Debi - I can clarify. First I would like to thank Liza Sabater, who did BlogHer a massive favor in the spring when she offered up her site, BlogSheroes, as a temporary wiki-like collaborative community for BlogHer.  I approached Liza after watching her work in CivicSpace with brownbloggers.com and dailygotham. (This was no small sacrifice on Liza's part -- she didn't realize part of her job would be to walk me through code.) Thank you Liza.

Now that BlogHer '05 has come and gone, we're uncoupling the two sites. Because BlogHer still does not and never will have a political affiliation. In fact, every time I'm asked, I say specifically  that BlogHer is not an agenda -- it's an opportunity for all women bloggers to grow our exposure, education and community. As such, it is not appropriate for BlogHer.org to affiliate with one part of the political spectrum. And as we've seen, before during and after July 30, women bloggers defy stereotypes, representing an excitingly diverse spectrum of opinions and beliefs.

At the same time, the-force-that-is-Liza has some fabulous plans for Blogsheroes, including the political and progressive ad network Debi mentions elsewhere in her post. (But I'm no spoiler! She'll have to tell everyone herself, perhaps when she's back from the conference in Canada she's attending this week.)

Baby steps: BlogHer Conference '06 and beyond

As we move forward, toward a 2006 conference and much more, the community is pushing BlogHer.org to evolve. Big time.  Elisa, Jory and I are beginning work to plan BlogHer '06 and to plan for a new BlogHer community platform, one designed to equip BlogHers with the many capabilities we all say we want.

You are proving essential to this effort -- via your posts, individual mother-of-all-to-do-lists, completed surveys and comments on the BlogHer blog. We are reading you as fast as we can.

We also look forward to working with you -- if you have offered to volunteer or to help in any other, we have your offer in hand. We're just not quite ready to act on it. Please bear with us -- we'll be in touch in September.

Until then, the very best thing you can do to support BlogHer is:

- Take the BlogHer survey (and if you have already, thank you!) The survey link I emailed all attendees is where you confirm that you'd like to volunteer and/or receive the email updates we'll begin in the end of September.  If you've lost track of the email and  need me to resend it, please email me at lisa.l.stone-at-gmail.com.

- Join the Speaker's Wiki started by Mary Hodder. Are you aware that a cable news producer was at BlogHer on July 30 solely for the purpose of hunting amazing women bloggers? The world wants you, ladies, so get thee hence to Mary's fantastic list of speakers. Don't just rely on the BlogHerRoll, amazing though it is. Stand up and be counted.

Lastly, thank you now and in advance for your patience. The emails keep coming and we're doing our best to get our lives back on track so we can focus again on BlogHer.

Best,
Lisa (or She Who Is Surrounded by Packing Boxes and Still Working on Her Mother of All To-Do Lists)

Heartfelt thanks

...to the amazing women on our advisory group, many of whom were out of the room (working, no doubt) while Jory was thanking them Saturday. With their fantastic support, the conference would never have happened. For posterity, the BlogHer Conference '05 Advisory Board included:

• Charlene Li
• Chris Nolan
• danah boyd
• Elayne Riggs
• Eleanor Kruszewski
• Halley Suitt
• Jeneane Sessum
• Liza Sabater
• Mary Hodder
• Nancy White
• Nichelle Stephens
• Rebecca Blood
• Rebecca MacKinnon
• Renee Blodgett
• Susan Mernit
• Sylvia Paull

Back at you this fall with the board for BlogHer '06.