Blogging the World: An Online Stage for Activists (Or Performatory Blogging for Everyone)

"Blogging the World" is a panel discussion by bloggers and alternative media journalists and activists at the upcoming Performing The World international conference to be held in New York City October 2-5.

"Blogging the World" will address the themes of community-building, performance and development, as well as issues of technology, democracy, and activism. We will also be a performance within a performance--a “happening within a happening”, broadcast throughout the stratosblog.

Begun in the mid-1990s, blogs have been so successful as outlets for alternative news and opinions of ordinary voices and alternative journalists that Technorati now tracks more than 112 million blogs. Mainstream media has taken up blogging – every online newspaper has one.

The influence of the “netroots” in political campaigns over the past several years has been notable. From Howard Dean to Ned Lamont to the Ron Paul Revolution and the Barack Obama “phenomenon”, the advance of social-networking tools and online campaigning are helping to transform politics.

Blogging is the performance of ordinary people as media personalities, pundits commentators and newsmakers—actors in the political arena, insurgents speaking out and impacting our political culture.

“Blogging The World” will involve an introductory session where bloggers and new media/ alternative media journalists and activists come together to share experiences and discuss questions such as: Do you as a blogger or new/alternative media journalist consider yourself part of a community? What is community? Is the internet a form of radical democracy in action, or simply technology being used by anyone who has a computer? How are you using your blog to build connections and relationships that strengthen grassroots democratic action?

“Blogging the World“ will also fan out to cover the various workshops, panels, speeches and performances by live-blogging, video-taping and broadcasting Performing The World. Bloggers will attend other sessions and report on them, interview presenters, and give our audiences a sense of this important grassroots conference.

For more information about the conference, please go to PerformingTheWorld.org

About Blogging the World's host: Nancy Hanks is a long-time activist in independent politics and the author of The Hankster, a blog/news source for independent voters. The Hankster was started in April 2006, during the midterm elections when independent voters led a successful anti-war electoral revolution. Nancy is a grant-writer for an international homeless youth program and volunteers as a fundraiser for the Committee for a Unified Independent Party (independentvoting.org). She is on the research staff of the Neo-Independent magazine. Nancy has been a guest commentator on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Indie Talk Blog Bunker with Joe Salzone.

Watchblog writers shift to PoliWatch

Poliwatch Indies: A message from David Remer

Dear former WatchBlog visitor,

Some of the writers from WatchBlog have set up a similar web site called PoliWatch. Unlike WatchBlog which is currently down, and has not seen a software upgrade or single additional feature added in years, PoliWatch has pulled out all the stops in purchasing licensing and hosting to provide the latest in blogging technology, software, and services for writers and visitors, alike.

We are adding one or more new features every week. We intend, over the next several months, to achieve a true social networking web site, centered around the liberals, independents, and conservatives 3 column format.

We hope you will check PoliWatch out, and become a participant in our comments or even perhaps, as a featured writer at some point in the future. We want your ideas, your feedback, your involvement, and participation.

PoliWatch's focus and purpose is to bring citizens who want better government together to discuss that way forward.

Hope to chat with you at PoliWatch.

Thank you, David R. Remer
Manager, PoliWatch

Indies are SIRIUS

Indie Talk Launches General Election Coverage with 'The Fight for Independents'
Special Broadcast Exclusively on SIRIUS
SIRIUS Satellite Radio
Press Release
Sun Herald
NEW YORK, June 25 -- SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) today announced that Indie Talk, the first radio channel for independent voters, will broadcast "The Fight for Independents" -- a live, town hall style roundtable discussion program. As the candidates and the nation prepare for the general election, political maverick Ron Silver, comedian Pete Dominick, and former Court TV anchor Vinnie Politan, all hosts on Indie Talk, will hold a live open-forum call-in broadcast with independent voters to find out how they plan to cast their votes and why.

The one hour broadcast, airing at 1 pm ET, Tuesday July 8th, will also feature top political analysts from prominent blogs covering the election season, from The Huffington Post to Newsweek's The Stumper to Beliefnet.com, who will share their insight on how the candidates are appealing to independent voters on the campaign trail.

"The Fight for Independents" kicks off Indie Talk's season of campaign coverage designed exclusively for independent voters, including "Indie Watch," weekly segments highlighting independent voters from across the country and the issues most important to them....... [read more from SIRIUS ]

Performing the World 2008

ANNOUNCING:

Performing the World 2008 Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

A unique conference/festival of performance activists from around the world

New York City

Thursday evening October 2 - Sunday afternoon October 5, 2008

A three-day "happening" of performances, workshops, panel discussions, lectures, community tours and improvisation. Performing the World 2008 (PTW '08) brings together activists, artists, educators, young people, practitioners and scholars from dozens of countries, all of whom are involved in the emergence of performance as a new way of relating to, understanding and changing the world. Open to all.

In the midst of this exciting Happening, The Hankster will be hosting a workshop called "Blogging the World: An Online Stage for Activists (Or Performatory Blogging for Everyone)". "Blogging the World" will be both a session which addresses Performing The World's themes of community-building, performance and development, as well as a performance within a performance--a "happening within a happening", broadcast throughout the blogosphere. Stay tuned!

Hillary: To Twitter, Too Late?

As Primaries End, Clinton Appeals Directly to Blogs

She held her first blogger-only conference call on Friday, phoning in to about 40 bloggers from the campaign trail in Oregon. And the campaign has stepped up its use of Twitter, a social-networking service that sends short, text-based posts, to make real-time calls to arms..... (New York Times)