Female Blog Observations

The BlogHer dinner was held tonight in the South Bay at a cute Southwestern looking place called Adrianos, which served Mexican and Italian food together.......some gathered both on the same plate.

17% men rolled through the door, including infamous blogger types like JD Lasica, Ross Mayfield, Kevin Drumm, Mark Canter and Jay Rosen. The rest were women from around the world. What shocked me most was the diversity among the women in the room. I encountered stories from Seattle, Toronto, Minneapolis, Montreal, Western Mass, Atlanta, Florida, Virginia, Chicago and as far away as Portugal, England and Russia.

I listened to stories about cupcake blogging and liberal politics, to professors seeking to find a community and a set of mentors they can't otherwise find through their own universities; the majority blog anonomously. Why? The fear of being too transparent in a small town where everyone already knows too much about your life, fear that parents or loved ones will learn too much about the way they really view the world, particularly if they held a provocative view, and most of them did.....and lastly, fear of the www.dooce.com story.

Other fabulous observations and wins for the conference include the level of interest from traditional press, particularly national broadcast media. Camera crews are 'a comin' tomorrow and the angles are broad.

My favorite line all night? This came from a woman close to my age....."my parents read my blog so they can get to know me, learn more about me and the way I think." Amazing that it takes a blog to bridge that connection, but at least something is, so how can it not be a win win.

More insights and photos as the event progresses.