BlogCon III

I just came back from my first BlogCon, held yesterday at Stanford, and it was just exciting.  I particularly enjoyed a new session given by Rebecca MacKineon for newbies which I surely feel I am. 

As Rebecca remarks, "In my observation, as blogging moves from techies and early-adopters to a broader range of people, the current group of blog-newbies is less interested in blogging for blogging's sake than in blogging for a specific purpose. They want to get an activist or political message out, communicate better with their boyfriend, collaborate more effectively with colleagues, or whatever." 

I agree, and we've hardly touched the uses of blogs for business.

 

But what struck me in the session for newcomers was the breadth of people attending from all over the world and what they are doing with blogs which was as diverse as the countries they represent.  One particularly compelling example, was from a woman heading the BBC's "Island Blogging Project" for 10 small islands in North Argyll, off Scotland's western coast. Apparently, the BBC brought blogging to these remote islands to provide a form of communications.  The BBC provided computers, training and the blogs themselves -- and the project has taken off.

In addition to the woman and her production chief from the BBC, there was a French venture capitalist, a UK developer, a NYC entertainment marketer, a man who used a blog for a soccer team for disabled kids, several from Microsoft and HP Labs and many others.  It was a very stimulating and exciting experience.  If you are interested, you can pick up a webcast of the "unconference" at Stanford.