Panel 2
The Real Story: L.A. Bloggers Take On Politics and the Media

[NOTE: for being a panel on LA Bloggers, there sure are very few bloggers here with the exception of the people sitting on stage.]

This panel should be starting any minute now, table layout looks to be: (L to R) Cathy Seipp, Matt Welch, Charles Johnson, Kevin Drum, Roger L. Simon, Moxie (who I still have never met in person, BTW - follow up: met her after the panel discussion), and Mickey Kaus.

The dude sitting behind me making blogger jokes - "if all the bloggers are on the panel, who's left to read them?" etc - just left because they announced that he left the lights on in his silver BMW. Haw-Haw.

The guy announcing this, I don't know who he is, is asking why the ACF is interested in Blogging, but he says it's changing things just like DVDs are changing things and so it's something people should take note of. At this point Cathy is introducing the panel now.

Matt has the first Blog she ever read, Charles runs LGF which a lot of people think is a hate site but really isn't, Kevin used to run Calpundit and now writes for the neoliberal Washington Monthly, Roger is a high paid screen writer and novelist and has now jumped into the world of bogging, Moxie is the representitive of the 20% of women bloggers and the most right wing blogger on the panel, and finally Mickey Kaus who Cathy says is the most well known blogger since Instapundit.

This is going to be long... play by play follows. Click "More" below for the rest

Cathy asked Mickey - why blog? He says there's a reason every Newsweek writer is an ex-Newsweek writer, which means that at worst case he could post things himself, and that turned into something more. Journalists DO read blogs, and are aware of what's going on in the blogosphere.

Same question to Moxie - she started in October 2000 as a means to make herself write every day. No intention of writing about politics, but as a result of outrage of what she was hearing, she started talking about what she thought to fight the stereotype.

Roger - commenting on Moxie before answering - agrees that blogging is a great way to meet people you would have never met elsewhere, and you can tell by their blogs that they are bright (or not). LA is circular, and the blogging opens up new connections. He got into blogging after reading other blogs, initially as a form of promotion. Writing blogs is similar to writing crime novels in that you get in, and get out, once it goes on too long ZZZZZZ. He's not left or right, and like that.

I like that too.

Kevin says he was a software Ex and when his company got bought he got paid a lot to stay a while and then quit. He started reading slate, etc and followed a link to Instapundit and that was that. Got a Blogger and count and would never go back. Started in August 2002.

Charles got into blogging to learn back end stuff. LGF is all custom software that he built and after 9/11 it took a big swing. Asking "why do they hate us?" knew about history and started talking about what was up. Things have been interesting since then because it's lead to a discussion that most people aren't having about Islamic extremists - in fact because media isn't covering it he feels he needs to.

Matt now comments on Charles - more on what he does. Going through Arabic sites and pointing out what they are talking about. Matt says he's less interesting, always thought blogs were stupid and narcissistic, and still does. Started blogging out of need for speed, to post and discuss right away. Lived in central Europe for 8 years and that plays into his views. Not interested in politics really, prefers music and media and himself tries to stay away from the political discussions these days.

Introductions over, and discussions beginning. Cathy talking about Rogers' comment about meeting new people. Matt continues that this is key. One of the first people he ever met was a republican cop from Pomona, someone there's no way we would have ever met outside of blogging. Great space to bounce ideas off people you never would have elsewhere.

Charles talks about the comment community on LGF (500+ comments per post) which is not at all common. Some days are 100K plus on traffic which is the size of a city, and like a city you have some people who know what they are talking about and the village idiots. The trick is learning what to skip and what to pay attention to. Even when it gets heated, gotta keep on going.

Kevin and Roger agree. Moxie is up now, and says her world has been expanded as well. She felt very alone living in LA, but getting on the web and talking about her views she met other people who felt the same and that was comforting. Given her professional venues that she never had otherwise, cover story for Black Book, and freelance photo jobs.

Kaus hasn't met a lot of people which Matt points out might be because there's no comments on his site. Good writing brings in hits, and if you publish crap you are punished right away because your traffic drops.

Cathy says one more thing then will open up to questions. She says the blogosphere leans right of center because... WHAT? Leans right? Are you kidding?? The whole thing about the blogosphere is that there's so many people with so many opinions that it *can't* lean one way or the other. She can't really think that because she leans right, and the circle of sites that she reads lean right, that all the stuff she doesn't read leans right too can she? No.. maybe? I don't know but that's one of the most inaccurate statements I've heard in a while, and coming from someone on a panel about blogs is pretty rough. That would be like a guy in NY saying that most Americans are New Yorkers because all day every day that's what he sees. Ouch.

Of the 400+ blogs with RSS feeds that I subscribe to, I'd say at least 80 are focused on politics, from far right to far left and there's no way I'd ever say collectively it leans one way or the other.

OK, open to audience discussion so I'm going to start a new post. On to Part 4!