Yes, the two-tiered setup within the Virginia blogosphere is emerging.
In one corner, the up and comers. In the other, the old guard bloggers consisting mostly of Chad Dotson, Waldo Jaquith, Norm Leahy, Jay Hughes, Jim Riley, and of course, Jaded JD:
That I’m an elitist bastard is well documented on this site. Perhaps that’s why I can’t help but notice, particularly with Mr. Leahy’s recent post on the subject, that those bloggers most displeased with Mr. Jaquith et al.’s work on the 2006 Blogger Conference seem to be newish bloggers, compared to people like Messrs. Jaquith, Leahy, Dotson, and, well, me, who have all been blogging since before the 2004 Presidential Convention season. Perhaps, too, that’s why the revolt against the conference seems so much more like an adolescent temper tantrum than a legitimate, objective problem.
The whole debacle over the Sorenson Institute’s Conference sounds silly to me. Certain bloggers feel snubbed they were not consulted before hand.
I take the opposite opinion. Kudos to the Sorenson Institute for not consulting me! It’s great — for $50 I don’t have to worry about speakers, location, venues, hotels, invitations, namecards, etc.
Sounds like a deal to me.
As for the other regional conferences springing up, that’s a great thing as well. I encourage it, but let’s not start throwing babies out with the bathwater… we have a good thing going on at Sorenson.