Netroots Nation

So Netroots Nation starts today in Pittsburgh (lucky UI!), and apparently the wingnuts have theirs going on at the same time in the same city:

Even though conservatives are holding their own convention of online activists in Pittsburgh this week, they are not trying to directly compete with the giant Netroots Nation. If they did, they would be squashed.

The RightOnline conference starting tomorrow morning at the Sheraton Station Square will have about a quarter of the 2,000 attendees at the liberal conference in the convention center, and only about 20 speakers to the 400 at Netroots. Liberals are throwing multiple parties at the Warhol and a gay-lesbian kiss-in. Conservatives end Friday night with a film criticizing Al Gore.

The liberals are enjoying themselves and the conservatives are still stewing in their resentments against Al Gore. There’s something telling in that juxtaposition. The rest of the article notes how the wingnuts are working to catch up — which is especially hard for them since their base is older (not so internet friendly) and way fluent in operating radios rather than computers.

But it is still odd though that they would want to shadow Netroots Nation rather than work out their own deal. On the other hand, the conservative blogosphere has always shadowed the progressive one, so perhaps there is some symmetry in that.

If you are interested in the goings on at Netroots Nation this year, they are streaming alot of events and panels, including the opening remarks today from President Bill Clinton at 5PM. You can also follow here:

Facebook
CSPAN and CSPAN-2 is covering some panels and events.
Twitter or at the #nn09stream.

And there’s even a Second Life options for those of you into that.