A Few Realities of Political Blogging at the 2008 DNC:

[TygrBright]

One: You go where the power is. Not the political power-- the A/C access that will keep you from depleting your laptop batteries. By the middle of the afternoon, power strips are at a premium and the jockeying for a spot where you can see a monitor or a platform, not get fallen over every ninety seconds, and plug in your 'pute gets pretty fierce.

Two: Fortunately, most bloggers are young. Because if we were all old farts like me, we'd be making a lot of chiropractors rich. The combined effects of Blogger's Butt, repetitive stress from typing in all kinds of weird positions and bad angles, and shoulder/back pain from humping around laptops, backpack/purse, camera bag, and other equipment make the hot shower at the end the best part of the day!

Three: You get no respect. To illustrate, here is the space the "Old Media" (mainstream print journalists and bloggers associated with established corporate-owned publications) gets to accommodate them at a major political convention:


Here are the accommodations for the "New Media":


When one of the Kos bloggers asked Chuck Schumer about the effectiveness of blogs, etc. as a tool for winning elections, he responded (rather dismissively, I thought) to the effect of "Well, that's only ten percent or so of the people we need to reach." It's not the number, Chuck. It's which ten percent. I'm sure he understands that, but...

Four: You're vulnerable to self-referential wanking about the importance of the New Media (see above.) Everybody does it. The number of bloggers interviewing other bloggers about the importance of blogging is mind-boggling.

Five: You do have the most fun. Bloggers take risks and do stuff 'respectable' Old Media types can't get away with.

philosophically,
Bright

[cliffordu]

1. I expect those rooms to be switched in 4 years.

[Cleita]

2. Thank you for your efforts in spite of

the inconveniences. :patriot:

:yourock:

[Olney Blue]

3. Very interesting- thanks!