The Blobosphere

It's been super interesting to read all the post-BlogHer entries this week -- particularly the ones that go beyond the squee-ish shout-outs and actually reflect on the conference and sessions and what that blogger learned or observed.

(Possibly I like these better because wah I wasn't there and didn't get to meet everybody and I wanna squee-ish shout-out waaaaah. But let's pretend I'm more interested in Smart Intellectual Discussion About Things.)

I really enjoyed Daring Young Mom's account of the closing keynote session with Elizabeth Edwards. And Julie Marsh's take at Imperfect Parent. Both are conservatives and noticed the same trend floating through the session and the questions: everybody assumed that everybody else agreed with them. That everybody's political views are the same, and that "as women" we certainly all think the same things about health care and abortion and the war and any number of other issues.

As Kathryn said:

Anytime we create an assumption of political consensus in a group of intelligent thinking adults, we’re headed for trouble. By saying, “I’m sure we all agree,” in essence what you’re saying is, “Any sane intelligent person would agree with me,” and I have a problem with that.

For the record, if it matters at all, I'm a Democrat. But I'm a fairly new one, since I was raised in a extremely conservative household, one where religion and politics were hopelessly entangled. The day I finally realized that I no longer believed the same things as my parents was a horrible, foundation-shaking, completely liberating day. And I was well into my 20s by the time I figured this out.

But. I still don't agree with everything that every other liberal believes. I don't blindly pull the voting levers across a single party line. I have certain opinions that probably still belong on the right-ish side of the fence.

The blogosphere, by and large, is a pretty liberal place. I don't really know why, since I know and read tons of wonderful conservative bloggers, but the "liberal" label seems to have stuck. But even "us liberals" are not all clones of each other. The blogosphere is not a giant homogeneous blob. (It's the blobosphere! Run!)

Anyway. I wasn't there, so I certainly don't mean to sound like I'm passing judgment on the conference or Ms. Edwards, but Kathryn and Julie's posts go beyond Blogher, I think. We shouldn't assume that every blogger or reader or commenter agrees with us.

The Internet is like, the biggest freaking hotel ballroom ever, and everybody should get a shot at the microphone, and everybody's beliefs should be welcomed and accepted. 

Unless, of course, they're from New Zealand. I hate those guys.

Comments

[Frema]

I love that people are talking about the actual content provided in the sessions this year--I thought that was sorely lacking in the BlogHer '06 posts. And I agree, we can never assume that everyone agrees with our opinion or subscribes to a certain belief system. I thought Elizabeth Edwards presented herself very well, and I was impressed that the BlogHer team was able to snag her, but I would've preferred a closing kenynote from someone able to speak more about being a blogger and what that entails. After all, it *was* a blogging conference!

[Dana]

Great post, Amy, and I liked what Kathryn said in hers as well.

[veronica]

I disagree with you that "The blogosphere, by and large, is a pretty liberal place."

With the millions of bloggers out there I don't think there is any comprehensive way to determine if there are more liberals or conservatives, especially since those terms are so rarely defined.

I think the nature of the blogosphere is that you find what you look for, and most people only read bloggers with whom they share important similarities, so they begin to assume that "most bloggers" think like they do.

[jodi]

I've often found myself wondering why bloggers are so liberal. And white, and upper middle class. I'd like to find some blogs from some other "types" of people. If you look at the club mom blogers, they all from the same socioeconomic class. What about an african-american? or a jew? (besides me) or a muslim? I'm just saying, someone else has to blog.

[raehan]

You know my experience is a little different. I am a Democrat from a liberal upbringing, but find that at last half of my blogfriends are conservative in one way or another, and we usually (unless there is some really upsetting news happening) stay clear of politics out of respect for each other.

Not so true in real life, where most of my friends are Democrats.

So, maybe Blogher didn't really represent the internet as a whole. I see it as a place where it is easier to get beyond our differences, not as a lblanketly liberal place. In fact, I'd say that more of my liberal blogfriends are dropping out of blogging because they are not comfortable with it anymore.

I would have loved to hear Elizabeth Edwards, though. At the same time, if they had brought George W., I would have felt very ill at ease, so I see the point about not making assumptions.

[Kristen]

To steal Mom-101's analysis of Edwards' comment, I have a feeling she meant that we've all got similar goals as mothers -- healthy, strong, smart kids -- it's just a matter of how we get there that we differ.

I'm not a professed lover of Elizabeth Edwards, in fact, I took issue with her statement about tv is terrible for kids between 1-3, however, I'm almost certain she comes from a place that doesn't expect all women to agree about everything.

But certainly we could agree that we all want similar things for our kids.

And this discussion raises another issue about how we disagree. I absolutely agree that we have to express our opposing opinions, but certainly we don't need to flame people or do it in a way that's totally disrespectful to the person.

And honestly, when people do disagree with such flourish and gusto, it takes away from their disagreement and just says "Hey Hey... Look at ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Nic]

Agree with the comments about not assuming we all agree with you. I am left feeling so sorry for Eliz Edwards and her babies with her stage IV breast cancer. So sad.

[Nic]

Oh, and I mean the group "you", not you in particular, Amy. I agree with most all of what you say!

[mothergoosemouse (Julie Marsh)]

Thanks Amy. For what it's worth, I would have taken issue with a Republican first-lady hopeful making the same statement regarding agreement - because I don't fit squarely into that box either.

And while I appear to "represent" for the conservative side of the house, I'm really just trying to challenge assumptions. Because out here in Colorado, I'm a bleeding heart liberal compared to most people.

[Amanda]

I never blog politics (a lesson I learned the hard way), but this was a HUGE problem for me last year at just about every Blogher session. The funny thing is that it's an assumption that only goes one way - liberals assume everyone in the room thinks like they do, but you'll almost never catch a conservative thinking that way (unless you're watching Fox news of course).

[Wacky Mommy]

I like blogland because it doesn't matter, out here, what your politics are. What matters is: Can you write?

[joy]

All the smart comments have been made, but I LOVE the erroneous characterization of the blogosphere as a homogeneous Blobosphere. I will be stealing that one.

[Her Bad Mother]

Jodi - mom bloggers do seem to be predominantly white middle-class (tho' not necessarily upper, I'd say), BUT there is a tremendous amount of diversity if you look: bloggers of color, lesbian bloggers, single parent bloggers, Jewish bloggers (many, many of these, from the US *and* Canada). (And? The conservative Christian corner of the momosphere is actually MASSIVE - bigger, I'd warrant, than the liberal corner. If we can say that there even ARE corners.)

But when we tend to read the bloggers that are most like ourselves, it's easy to miss the differences. Which is a shame.

[Mom101]

Okay can I be the voice of dissent here?

I don't think the parenting blogosphere is entirely liberal at all. Google "Christian mom blogs" sometime. There are like a million. They breed like Catholics! (Omg, I'm kidding. Don't hurt me.)

Also, Amanda - (Hi Amanda!) I really don't think that only liberals assume everyone in the room thinks their way. Maybe the blogHer audience leans liberal, but out there in the vast US of A, I've had plenty of folks gawk in disbelief when I couldn't answer the question what church I go to. Or when I've asked Fox News to be turned off in a bar. (Yep, that's me.)

As Kristen paraphrased me, my take from Elizabeth Edwards was that we all agree on basic tenets about kids being loved and healthy, water being clean, Dora dolls being free of lead paint. I didn't take it as a political statement at all. But considering you can't look at her without seeing a candidate's wife, I can see why it's easy to jump to polarizing issues like abortion or Iraq.