Shelley took Adam Green to task for (I guess--the words aren't on his post now) talking about how linking to chick-blogs and saying nice things got him links back.
I think Shelley has done a good job pointing out to Adam that this is not such an amazing thing. It happens sometimes when you join a conversation and say something interesting, and often enough. Even when the conversation is mostly men or mostly women. And Shelley's right: some of the best conversations tend to come out of those environments. But not all the best.
Shelley also uses the opportunity to call for the end of terms (and groups?) like BlogHer that "differentiate" women.
I disagree. That differentiation's been done for us. That same argument that we should blur the lines is used by some of my least favorite people when it comes to race, as though the race card's "being played" -- notice the PASSIVE VOICE -- when in fact, it's DONE BEEN played.
BlogHer is simply this: An answer to the oft-stated and oft-stated and oft-stated -- then stupidly stated again -- fallacy: "There just aren't any women bloggers out there." Yah, well shut up, yes there are. They're here and here and there and there and here and there.
BlogHer isn't THE women's thang. It's A woman's thang. Just like Blog Sisters and other groups of women writing/speaking/laughing/arguing together. It doesn't take us away from our individual presences; it augments them.
BlogHer is how one group of women is choosing to answer an erroneous assertion--and take it from there. They are answering it by speaking and by writing, podcasting and photocasting. Often and everywhere. Loudly. With Passion. With other women, with men, by ourselves. However the fuck we want to do it. Just do it. Or don't.
The thing that keeps me at arms length with the term "feminism" is feminism's common inconsistency with itself. Women want to embrace their differentiation, but don't want anyone to point it out. And at the risk of sounding like Dave Winer, it's annoying.
BlogHer is a good thing. Women blogging on their own blogs is a good thing. Men blogging is a good thing. Children blogging is a good thing. Seniors blogging is a good thing. CEOs blogging is a good thing. Employees blogging is a good thing. EVERY THING IS A GOOD THING and none of it means anything = all at the same time!
It's NOT black and white. It's as shady gray as it gets.
Except for spam. Spammers are a bad thing.
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