As ConvergeSouth 08 approaches: some BloggerCon jokes

This is the 4th year ConvergeSouth has been held in Greensboro. The town, incidentally, where I live. I've been a blogger for nearly that long, yet this is my first year attending the blogger convention.

When I've mentioned the event to friends (friends who don't blog, that is, which is - it must be admitted - most of them,) these are the prize responses I've heard:

• Snort (literally - she may have spit soda through her nose.) "A what???"
• "They have conventions for bloggers? Why?!"
• "What do ya'll do, sit across the room from each other with your laptops and write back and forth to each other?"
• "I'll bet the parking lot outside this thing is way more fun than a Grateful Dead show!" (No. I am not making this up.)
• "Really. Well what...I mean, what do ya'll do? Why? I don't get it!"

And on it goes.

Truth is, as this is my first year, I have no idea what to expect at this convention. But that doesn't keep me from being excited about attending.

As I responded to the clever dude with the snarky Dead remark, "Look, these are my people." (To which he responded, "Okay, I get it; kinda' like one of the reasons I go to AA.")

Maybe it is, too. Sort of.

I've been to enough professional conferences and conventions over the years that I figure there will be lots of speakers:

• talking about things I care about,
  
• sharing tips about techniques I've heard of but don't yet know how to implement,
  
• giving anecdotes concerning success with this or that tool,
• and a whole lot more...

I also suspect we'll have good discussions in breakout sessions and over dinner, and perhaps at the barbecue the night before, about:

• how to use social media sites to generate more traffic to our blogs,
• as well as other tools and tricks, too,
• why we do this in the first place,
• how it's good we have these conventions since, although our friends think our blogs are kinda' nifty, they sure don't get why we need to converge to talk about it.

I guess it's similar to any other niche/profession/sub-culture. These are my people. It's very possible I won't know a single soul there, but I'll know 'em anyway.

They're not all my people, of course. Ya'll are my people - the ones:

• who put up with phone calls in which I rant over how this or that brought me tons of new traffic,
  
• and in which I beg for affirmation that this post I just published doesn't sound blatantly condescending or rude to this or that person or group,
• the ones who sit patiently while I once more declare "oh that's gonna' be great for the blog - hold on, let me quick make a note!"

... but they're my people, nonetheless. The ones who "get" that urge to head to my computer to craft the story recounting this or that observed incident, all so it can be read by friends and strangers alike, in the privacy of your own homes.

And stuff.

Can't wait to tell you if The Event Proper lives up to its years of expectations!

Comments

[Joy]

I cannot even hear the phrase "break-out session" without cringing. Conference hell incarnate!

[Joy]

Mel insists that I clarify. My experience with so called "break out sessions" is at work conferences. So this is where we are supposed to come up with plans to implement the goals presented to us in the other sessions, so we all try to look busy and "on board" for half and hour or so. It's excruciating.

[Melody]

Hopefully the kind of breakout sessions I'm imagining will be closer to what we actually have, than what you've experienced! I love the small-group opportunities to discuss topics of interest, perhaps touched on by the speakers, and perhaps merely somewhat related...