The Small Knit Present

This is a hemp wash cloth knit for my friend M (I only use her first initial because she has a very unusual first name and is phobic about being identified on the web).  Do you have friends who read your blog and only send emails instead of Comments?  This is the most intractable problem:  convincing smart older women that the blog is a significant medium for our generation, that we need to tap into it to give visibility to our concerns, among ourselves--as well as with others.

Recently I considered whether I'd go to California for a July conference by the online group, BlogHer.  I sent a query and asked   why  there did not appear to be any sessions focused on Elderblogging women.  I'd was looking for talk about the digital divide between those comfortable with computers and the many over 55 who are not.  As a longtime feminist, I like the idea of an all-women conference.  Would I find sessions on topics we discuss on elderblogs, ones that draw younger bloggers to our sites the way we go to some of theirs.  I did discover sessions at BlogHer '06 about Community Blogging that I'd like to hear-- "Outreach Blogging is not for the faint-hearted... bloggers tackling the most sensitive subjects, such as anorexia, addiction and mental illness.."  I'd hoped this might include something on the challenge of helping relatives move to nursing homes, but probably not.

Under Political Blogging "...bloggers representing all types of blogs, and with a range of opinions on what they expect to achieve with those blogs," ask if their energy is better directed toward change in their own communities rather than the larger public.  In my short time blogging, I've found few elderbloggers encouraging political action by elders.  Have we become too accustomed to organizations doing the work for us? 

Did I get a response?  Yes, that's the good news.  The disappointment was the content: 

"BlogHer produced a session called Respect Your ElderBloggers at SXSW this March which was a big success. You can get the link to the podcast here: http://blogher.org/node/5666." 

This was Ronni Bennett, Elderblogging at Time Goes By: what it's really like to get older.  The leader in promoting the Elderblogging notion, she gave a terrific presentation--at another conference--not a women's blogging conference.

I'd hoped to see a session at BlogHer '06 on "the next step" in an active elder life, something similar to the one, started here, "How We'll Still Need You..." and continued with great energy at Blogging in Paris.  Something like that would get me to consider jet lag and a transcontinental flight to California.  Our issues are their issues too:  we're the mothers and grandmothers younger women need to hear.  Maybe next year, BlogHer '07...

Comments

[goldenlucy]

I planned to go to BlogHer '06 until I realized it was scheduled for the same weekend as the wedding here. As you say, perhaps in '07. Hopefully by that ime there will be many more active women elderbloggers.
You are so right about our generation's fear of technology. It took me quite some time to confidently use the computer---even in my elementary way. But I did and I'm so very happy I know enough to feel part of the outside world.
I have so many things I'd like to discuss re community and end-of-life issues but I will wait to get into them as I need all my marbles for the upcoming gala. It's always such a pleasure to hear from you, Naomi!

[Susan aka SAZ]

Naomi - I love the hemp wash cloth. I'd never use it for that - way too pretty.

[Naomi Dagen Bloom]

what a thrill, susan, that you like the funky washcloth. "M" wants to use it! made it as more decorative than functional, so have to tell her that the blue flower, 50/50 wool and hemp, might shrink!

[knomad]

Do you suppose that there are more elder bloggers than you realize. Perhaps they don't want to be ghettoized into a sub set labeled elder.
Plus the assumption that people over 65 don't blog because of a supposed fear of technology. I have been around computers since the 1960's when the bank I worked at went online with their savings and checking accounts. Being over 65 does not automatically make me afraid of technology. I feel insulted when people start assuming they have to make special arrangements for their ancient parent to learn to use a computer.
My Dad was in his 80's when he went to the library and learned to sign on to the computer there. We gave him a laptop and he was off and computing with zeal. He set up a spread sheet, he created a data base, he got a Yahoo address and corresponded by email. Never did I hear him express a trepidation about using technology.

I met a retired woman whose father worked on ENIAC. Personal computers have been around since the early 1980's
We have been conditioned to hide our age and now when we want to know how many seniors are blogging we don't know because people are not revealing their age on their blogs. Their interest are varied and aging may not be one of them.

Most of the seniors I know who are blogging are writing about their travels in their RV's and many of them are talking about how they access the internet while traveling.

I think you should go to BlogHer and attend the workshops and speak up in whatever segment interests you. I don't want to be the Grammy blogger instead of a Mommy blogger.

[Naomi Dagen Bloom]

well, knomad, we do indeed live in different universes! and now i know about retired bloggers living in RVs.

even though we see the world differntly, i hope you found something to enjoy--my cat, my knitting, adorable grandchildren. i'm glad to have another point of view and wonder how you landed here.

[knomad]

I have found much to enjoy. I came across your blog following a link about the Granny Brigade and have been reading your blog since then.

[Elisa Camahort]

Hi Naomi: I'm sorry you found my brief comment disappointing. I was trying to make the point that BlogHer has and does consider ElderBlogging to be a worthy topic. BlogHer brought five sessions to SXSW for our own mini-track, so we consider it to have been a BlogHer session, and it was branded as one. Bringing more women speakers to male-dominated conferences is part of our plan, after all :)

There is also something to be said for simply making an effort to get diversity of perspective within topic-oriented sessions. To knomad's point: we had a group contact us from a teen podcasting group blog who wanted to speak at BlogHer. But they didn't *want* to be on a teen panel (we've held those before too.) So we incorporated one of their representatives into a session about group blogging.

But n this case it has more to do with the fact that we try to bring in new topics and new speakers with every event. Of our 95 women speakers at BlogHer '06 85% did not speak for BlogHer before. And the vast majority of sessions are on topics we haven't covered before. Everyone wants a chance to be heard. We've done generation-specific content at our last two events, and there are none at this event. But I'm sure there will be again.

In fact that's why we have two tracks of sessions that we call Room of Your Own sessions...proposed by people attending the conference who think we missed a vital topic of interest and are willing to lead a discussion on the topic.

I hope that next year you will contact me with one of the ideas you mention above. (I also, like knomad, think it would be pretty cool if you were at BlogHer bringing your perspective to whatever session topics interested you.

Best,
Elisa Camahort
BlogHer

[knomad]

I am glad to see the fuller explanation of what BlogHer is about. Just as they are trying to bring more women speakers to male dominated evens there should also be more elders at youth dominated events.

I don't want to see women, elders, people of color become token panelists. I want more heterogeneity in all technology sessions.

[goldenlucy]

Naomi,
I wanted to send a copy of this email to you but I can't find your address. Perhaps it's just as well since there seems to be a lively discussion going on here! This letter was send to knomad:

...I just read your excellent comment at The Little Red Hen on elderblogging. Very well said, though I guarantee that many folks over in their 80's don't blog because of computer-phobia. Your father is most certainly to be commended.

As far as posting one's age on the blog, I'm of two minds. I see your point about not wanting to be pidgeon-holed or "ghettoized." On the other hand, I've never felt that way. I regularly correspond through comments and email with folks of both sexes and all ages. That's the thrill of blogging for me.

Again, thanks for a different view. I'm now going to face my fear of registering to read your blog. One of these days I may actually dare try to make links on my site! Such a baby.

All the best and happy roaming...

[Larissa]

Hey Naomi, I was googling dishcloth patterns and got directed to your site via Subversive Knitting -- so cool!. I am knitting again, since I last saw you. Strangely, there is a high proportion of knitters among our tutors at the Learning Center -- one tutor wrote her thesis at Bryn Mawr on knitting circles and knitting blogs!
hope you are well, miss our chats,
xoLarissa