Response to Catez Stevens regarding women and the GodBlogCon

Catez Stevens has referenced my most recent post on the question of why there weren’t more women at the GodBlogCon at Allthings2all. She offered commentary and discussion on my post and others and said some valuable things. She asked, however, that comments to her post be limited to answering the question of “what is blogging success.” Therefore, in case anyone has read both her post and mine, I would like to respond in this post, just to make sure things are clear.

Catez, thanks for referencing my post and for the good discussion. I appreciate your thoughts and your challenge of sorts. I did sort of entangle my personal issues with the general issues in the part of my post that you quoted, and didn’t develop some of them as I could have. Let me say that I take full responsibility for my own lack of reaching out, which I know is essential to connecting with people, and therefore fault no one for any lack of readership or connection I may have in the blogosphere due to my own fault. I often wonder, though, whether things would be different if I had a different personality or could overcome my “issues,*”...maybe I’m shooting myself in the foot. Yet I am dependent upon and eternally grateful for those who have found me anyway without face-to-face contact and deem my writing worthwhile, you being one of them :-). (By dependent I mean for any “livelihood” I may have in the blogosphere.)

I do feel that there is a solidarity issue, maybe not for everyone, but I think that whenever a gender-specific subject is brought up, the solidarity issue automatically comes up with it. Perhaps the way the issue was raised at the panel session, i.e., being presented a bit confrontationally, is what caused me to see the specter of feminism lurking. Why did no one suggest a “men in the blogosphere” session at the GodBlogCon? Men have concerns specific to their manhood as related to blogging just as women have concerns as women, whether they relate specifically to gender or have to do with the way one’s gender may relate to external/neutral subjects such as blogging topics.

As I said in my post, it would’ve been nice to have a session to look at some concerns specific to women that hopefully would not have any overtones of being a rally for blogging women, yet I thought there was plenty discussed that applied to both women and men, and for that reason I feel the conference was a success. I came away encouraged and feeling as if maybe my IQ got bumped up a couple points just by being around so many wonderful, engaging people :-).

But, Catez, your point is well taken about having the added perspective that a women could bring to a panel discussion. I agree that it does not have to be about “needs,” and I think that the perception of whether it’s about perspective or needs/concerns may come in large part from the way the issue is broached.

In regards to “chips falling where they may,” my point was that there is only so much I can do to promote myself, and I don’t even do most of what I could do. So, my choice is to either try to do something that goes completely against my nature, or else just be the person I am, faults and all, and let the chips fall where they may.

Concerning bringing kids to conferences, I would not have been able to bring my kids to the GodBlogCon, but if I could’ve, I would’ve been more than willing to pay for child care as I think that would be my responsibility. I know that the Con was not a profitable venture in economic terms (I hope it’s OK to say that) and, for the future, profitability probably needs to be improved. But the fact of the matter is that many many wonderful people gave an awful lot to make this conference happen, and, if anything, attendees should be willing to pay more in the future. That said, I’m sure that future GodBlogCons will benefit from what was learned from the first go around, and future planning will no doubt be more comprehensive. Perhaps it can include some sort of child care. (addendum: the child-care idea originated with Marla Swoffer.)

Regarding asking “why are we blogging and how should we blog,” why is that question any different than asking why there weren’t more women at the GodBlogCon? If people are trying to work it out, why not let them ask the question so as to get the feedback? That’s one example of how we can help one another – if one of us is wondering things or feeling ambivalent or whatever, we can ask the questions and put out the feelers – we can reach out – and hopefully be able to trust that those who love us – our fellow Christian blogging brothers and sisters – will give us the encouragement or food for thought that we need.

On the question of blogging success, I don’t view it as a matter of success or failure, but of stewardship and purpose. I must assess whether the time and effort I spend blogging are responsible and accomplish anything for the Kingdom. I have concluded that making a few really good friends in the blogosphere and getting at least a little readership do make it worthwhile, and the discussion and interaction with readers is valuable, at least for me.

*I treated my insecurities with a bit of hyperbole in my post. I do think that, had I felt I had a good strong presentation/game plan for a “women in the blogosphere” session, I would’ve been able to present it just fine :-).