You would think that a websites whose mission to give women a voice online would celebrate the voices of all women. But a blogger’s recent post made me wonder if Vibrant Women aren’t sometimes invisible even to the other women.
We all know how BlogHer.com (“The Community for Women Who Blog”) has successfully created an audience for women’s voices and a platform for selling ads targeting their readers.
In a recent post in the blog “By Jane”, its author Jane Gassner had the following report from the conference she moderated at the huge BlogHer Conference (held 6 weeks ago in Chicago):
When my panel was announced, I couldn’t figure out what we — one shopping blog, one lesbian blog, one the-personal-is-political blog and me, the midlife blogger—had in common. What was our reason for being? Then during the preconference phone call, Elisa stressed that we were the panel to give voice to those not often heard. That confused me further because I don’t feel particularly marginalized in the blogosphere. But then I got to the conference and looked around, and I understood — within BlogHer itself, we are marginalized. The emphasis of the Conference is on sponsorship and the sponsors are focusing on one particular demographic; that leaves the rest of us out in the cold. I can’t tell you how many times during BlogHer ’09, midlife bloggers came up to me and asked, “Where are we in all this?” I could only shrug. I dunno.
This comment was echoed in a recent comment from a VibrantNation.com member, who said “Older women are for the most part invisible on BlogHer.com. Your site does meet a real need – a kind of BlogHer for older women.”
I have experienced the same reaction myself while looking for the voice of Vibrant Women on BlogHer. The lack of that voice is one reason we have started our own Blog Circle.
Online information sources confirm that BlogHer’s audience is strongest among women (and men – lots of men read BlogHer) in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Among women over 50, BlogHer actually appears to draw proportionately fewer than are online.
I have met two of the three co-founders of BlogHer. (They are all under 50.) I know they do genuinely support women and are committed to diversity. Given how successful they’ve been, the lack of Vibrant Women on BlogHer may indirectly reflect the lack of interest in Boomer Women by advertisers more than entrepreneurs. It also reflects that more young women took to blogging faster than Boomer women (who are now catching up).
But these comments and observations make me wonder if women themselves are hearing the call from their older peers to let them into the conversation online. They can’t pretend to celebrate the voices of all women if they don’t.
Let us know what you think. And please let us know if you know of any great Vibrant blogs you’d like to see on VibrantNation.com!
thank you so much Lisa, that helps a lot. I know he tried to blame me for so much stuff, but like I told all of his family and mine none of that added up to a divorce. I do realize it's his needs, it just hurts so bad to think how many years he's
How funny....i only very recently (within last week) read the coconut oil articles on the web. (100 uses, 80 uses etc.) so i bouht some and ordered some from amazon. (Im a stockpiler.)
Have started trying some of the uses. I tried using it a
I have done quite a lot of searching for blogs written by /for older women to add to my blog roll at http://www.the-next-stage.com/
It’s true older women are largely invisible on the web and sadly that includes Blogher. I’ve located only 2 websites/blogs for older women with multiple authors: Senior Women and Vibrant Nation.
I’ve only located one blog specifically directed toward women who are retired: For the first Time: Feminist Women Entering Retirement.
Many of the blogs directed at 50 somethings are littered with ads and are all about how to look sexy, lose weight, shop etc. Not exactly what I was looking for.
So I listed 2 blogs I like which are written by women in their 50’s which cover a wide range of issues but are not specifically targeted to older women: Good and Plenty and Femnation. (My apologies to Marj and Candelaria if I’ve overestimated your age.)
I’ve also included Feministing which is directed towards younger women but contains some good intergenerational exchanges.
Links to all these blogs are listed under My Blog List at http://www.the-next-stage.com/
Karen Bojar
As a professional travel/style writer, I really wanted to start blogging, but just couldn’t make the first move. Fortunately, I found two wonderful ‘reverse mentors’, young college grads that took me under their wing. (http://www.soelsewhereconsulting.com) They took me on a blogger’s bootcamp … and helped me launch my site, http://www.flashnomad.com They did a great job at breaking tasks down into simple things that I could do. And, it has been really liberating to find that I can learn to do things I never thought I’d do.
I am in the process of putting up a website for people over 50 with a need to understand computers and internet is very easy, straight forward and simple terms. I will be doing a blog on this site in a couple of weeks when it is ready for release. I would be happy to have you as a guest blogger and would like to put a link for this site as most of my links are for free stuff. http://easywebco.com Please be aware this is being proofed and written now.Thanks and have a great day.
I think this is a great idea! I cannot tell you how many people are clueless about computers and the Internet. My family and friends were amazed when I started using a computer some 17 years ago..when most people had not even heard of the internet. You see, I could not and still cannot work the remoted control or DVD player…very electronically challenged.
I love computers and all they can do for me in my job and how the entire world is open to me 24/7. I have 2 laptops, one desktop and a blackberry that I would not leave home without!
Congratulations on believing in the abilities of the 50+ generation to learn new things!