July 27, 2004
Jimmy Carter speaks
In case you missed it, I’ve posted the transcript of Jimmy Carter’s speech last night.
Speaker info
Atom Feed
July 26, 2004
Monday photos
Some photos from the convention, Monday, here, including some more of how well the Convention is protecting all good citizens from the perils of the Free Speech Zone.
The media circle
At the bloggers breakfast, Rod O’Connor, CEO of the DNC, explained that the convention is a “live TV show” as if this were a good thing. Then they brought out Pultizer-prize-winning AP legend, Walter Mears who started a blog for the AP yesterday. A blogger asked why the Big Media have cut back their Convention coverage. “We’d love a convention where decisions are made,” he said. But conventions today are just scripted media events.
So, there we have the irony in the space of eating a single bagel for breakfast: The Convention folks think their job is to script an event for the news media, and the news media don’t want to cover an event that’s been scripted.
Another blogger asked Mears: So why do 15,000 media people show up? Because, Mears said, “it’s a great class reunion and a hell of a party.”
Meanwhile, I’m sitting on the 7th floor of the Fleet Center, watching the big stage below me as Patti Labelle belts out a hair-straightening version of the national anthem…to an empty house. Presumably, you’ll get to see that performance later, if the media decide to run it.
Technorati aggregates blogs
Technorati is aggregating about 10,000 political blogs of all stripes. Nice.
Technorati is CNN’s partner in blogging, by the way. Dave “Sweet” Sifry is apparently going to get on-air time as the voice of the Blogosphere, a choice I’m personally happy about.
Blogging crosses over
The credentialed bloggers are sitting in the section of the bleachers designated “Blogger Boulevard.” Want to know exactly where it is? Easy: It’s on the other side of the Rubicon.
This event marks the day that blogging became something else. Exactly what isn’t clear yet, and the culture clash is resulting in public functions that are Dostoyevskian in their awkwardness.
Take the breakfast the DNC threw for us bloggers….
The last convention?
Will we ever do this again? Is 2004 the last year we’re going to have national conventions like these?
I just came back from picking up my credentials, which meant taking the T down to the Fleet Center, waiting on the wrong line, being directed by a series of five polite cops to the press office, and then being told that bloggers pick up their credentials at the Westin Hotel five subway stops away. My fault for not finding out ahead of time where to go.
But the trip to and then around the Fleet Center was instructive, for it meant following an intestinally-coiled set of fenced-in paths, with uniformed guards stationed every hundred feet, and mufti-clad security people betrayed by the coils plugged into an ear…
The photos I posted just below this entry I also posted at Exposure Manager. which has donated space to the convention bloggers. I’m very impressed with it.
Convention snaps
Entering the Free Speech Zone
Inside the Zone
Free speech on the ground
Shut up, kid, you’re leaving the Zone!
Jay Rosen and me, wearing our Convention bling-bling. (This is a terrible photo of Jay!)
July 25, 2004
Early photos
Matt Stoller, who’s been helping the DNC figure out what to do about blogging and bloggers, has just posted photos of the site over at The Blogging of the President. Amusing captions and even a “Caption it yourself” contest…
Other early photos are here and here.
July 23, 2004
Dave’s Convention aggregator
Dave Winer’s built a Convention blog site that aggregates blogs from people attending the Convention (not just the credentialed ones). Looks great. Thanks, Dave.
July 22, 2004
Free the protestors
I haven’t seen the “freedom of speech pen” in person, but from the news reports, it looks repellant. I understand the security concerns about the Convention — frankly, I’m literally losing sleep over the prospect of a large scale (= nuke it in suitcase) attack on Boston — but there has to be a better way of honoring the duty to dissent than to put citizens behind double fences topped by razor wire. Isn’t this country all about saying that freedom is worth the risk?
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