"Outreach Blogging is not for the faint-hearted" (audience member account)

I attended "Outreach Blogging is not for the faint-hearted" at BlogHer 2006. It was the best panel I attended.

Panelists: Leah Peterson, [redacted], Jenn Satterwhite, Denise Tanton

Moderator: danah boyd

This panel was scheduled post-lunch on Day Two, and I was flagging a little by then. I didn't know what to expect from this session other than it featured bloggers who grappled with anorexia, addiction, and personality disorders, and had chosen to incorporate these parts of their lives into their blogging.

I wasn't sure if it would be a bit voyeuristic or not. Also, I have to admit, I went to it mostly to see danah boyd. Why? Well for a number of reasons: she's a bit quirky in appearance, and this promises a rebellious or maverick mind-set; she's a high-profile blogger and conference attendee; and I was impressed by her academic work and association with U.C. Berkeley. Additionally, I had met her and chatted briefly at other events like BlogHer 2005.

I thought, "If she's put together a panel, it's bound to be interesting." And it was.

I don't want to re-hash anything that was said, because the session was recorded for a podcast, but I do want to comment on some aspects that made it a stand-out panel.

The moderator

The moderator did just that: she moderated. While she did reveal a bit about why this subject meant something to her, which I appreciated hearing, mostly she faded into the background.

That's the ideal approach for the moderator to take. A moderator has a lot of power to set the tone, and is instrumental to making a panel successful. The tone and pace set by boyd were ideal for the subject matter.

The temptation is to always have some sort of productive speech going on, but she did not rush in when a panelist needed to collect her thoughts, nor try to jump in and smooth things over if a panelist was upset.

The panel

The panelists all seemed relaxed and at ease with being stared at by a room full of strangers. I don't mean to be condescending here, but they were also incredibly articulate when conveying highly personal and stigmatized subject matter.

They also seemed to listen intently to their fellow panelists, which gave the panel a team feeling.

And really that brings me to the positive message of this panel. Although the panelists had been through some horrific experiences, they seemed to have arrived at a point of acceptance. It wasn't "pity me" but more like, "hey, look at what happened in my life, and I'm coping with it".

These women were not so different from myself; I could easily have been dealt their hand.

This was an excellent panel, and I commend the panelists, moderator, and conference organizers for making it happen at BlogHer 2006.

Tags: BlogHer, blogher06, Bloghercon