I’ve signed up for Creative Camp 08 in Kilkenny this year, just to top off Blog Week (because, you know, I won’t be busy enough for those nine days.)

I’m presenting with a brilliant group of women on a panel called Grabbing the Blogsphere by the Balls. Normally I am resistant to all-girl panels, but since this one is addressing issues like, well, all girl panels, I thought it would be worth a whirl.

We’re still hashing that one out, but I think it’s going to be a roundtable looking at things like poor female turnout at tech events, representation of female speakers, credibility and blogging, and women bloggers in general.

Which, obviously, got me thinking about gender and blogging, and since I’m going to be there anyway, I decided to offer up a talk called How To Blog Like a Boy. As it says in the description:

Women come to blogging from a different socialisation, communication and linguistic background than male bloggers, and enter a slightly different ecosystem with distinct advantages and disadvantages. “How to Blog Like a Boy” looks at how women can free their voices, raise their blog profiles, and position themselves as a bloggers of authority in Ireland.

There is actually a lot of interesting research around socialisation (women are raised with a disproportionately high emphasis on niceness) and lingusitics (we’re masters of the hedge statement) that I think are reflected in interesting ways in how we blog, and have consequences for how we’re perceived.

So no, it isn’t really how to blog like a boy. It’s a look at (among other things) the predominantly female characteristics of language and interaction that are not doing us any favours in the blogsphere (or the rest of our lives) and how to shake them out of our writing and communication.

And yes, kittens will be killed.

On the plus side, no tea will be served, so people of all genders are welcome to attend.

The last two days were a completely unexpected whirlwind. While it’s been a peculiar flavour of fun, it’s also been exhausting and more than a little weird. Not to mention more than a little drunk.

The exhausting part was entirely my fault. I sent out a press release on Wednesday at around 10 PM, figuring it would be a good thing to have in journalists’ Inboxes first thing in the morning. They started calling 5 minutes later. When Newstalk then rang and asked if I could go on air the next morning, I started to get half a clue that Two Tits and a Vote might catch more attention than I had anticipated. So as soon as I got off the last call at midnight, I hastily convened an emergency IM meeting with the fabulous Suzy, who helped me develop my talking points and message list for radio shows. We pow-wowed until 3 AM, though I have to say the time invested was completely worth it.

What Thursday brought was, first of all, a damn early wake-up call when a regional paper rang at 7 AM. From there the phone pretty much rang straight through until noon. It was so full on that when the Independent rang at 12 to ask if they could send a photographer down now, I told them I needed an hour because I had not yet had a chance to pee, shower or brush my teeth and was still in my pajamas.

I also wanted to *cry* because I’d had 4 hours of sleep, and as you may have seen in your paper du jour, looked like the back end of a bus that had been run over by another bus.

After an hour of having various hideous photos of me taken by a very nice man, I jumped in a cab to Cork Station, grabbed a cold noodle salad from the newsagent’s, and with sixty seconds to spare made the 2:30 Dublin train. Where my master plan of grabbing some sleep was promptly thwarted by a hen party from Mallow. A very large, very loud hen party that in a Patton-esque triumph of tactical resource planning, managed to distribute itself across every available carriage.

In Dublin, I was graciously rescued by Ellybabes, which may be cosmological proof that there is a God because at this point I was so exhausted I couldn’t move under my own steam without walking into a lamp post. We arrived at the Odessa Club just in time for me to do a radio interview at 6 PM, after which… I made a huge, moronic, critical error.

I had a glass of wine.

It wasn’t until about 10 minutes later that I noticed I could no longer properly form words. I pulled my empty lunch container out of my bag, read the back, and realised that my complete food intake for the day had consisted of a grand total of 180 calories. And I was now absolutely, irretrievably BOMBED OUT OF MY TREE.

There is a reason I never, ever, ever drink. The reason is that I am spectacularly bad at it, even under the most auspicious circumstances. And I think we can all agree that four hours of sleep, five cups of coffee, and 180 calories worth of food do not make for auspicious circumstances.

At this point we migrated upstairs to join the throngs at the the tremendously successful TechLudd event (Anton Mannering: Tech Crowd Hero!), where I had another glass of wine because whatever shards of judgment with which I am normally endowed were now firmly locked in a cask labeled Sauvignon Blanc. I then proceeded to play nicely with some people whilst being borderline abusive to a number of others – people to whom I would sincerely apologise if only I could remember who they were.

The only blessing was that I had to leave at 8:30 PM to catch the last train back to Cork, limiting both my alcohol intake and my exposure to other humans. When the train left the station and the announcement was made that there would be no food service, I think I actually wept before keeling over and finally, finally falling asleep. Or possibly just passing out.

Friday morning I was suitably punished for my sins by an incredibly early call from a radio station ringing to slot me into their morning show in a few hours. After that, my hangover (yes, from two glasses of wine) and I went out to get the morning papers from the newsagent over the road and with 9 hours of sleep in two days, started all over again.

The media attention for Two Tits and a Vote was of course completely worth it and utterly delightful. I was so, so glad for the press bump; the interest level was just amazing and very gratifying.

Almost as gratifying, though, was waking up this morning at 7 am not because the phone had rung at an ungodly hour for the third straight day, but because the dog had stepped on my face. Press coverage is great, but I’m no kind of media maven. And after the last 48 hours, being able to pee without three calls stacking up on my mobile is its own kind of thrill.

Very quickly from what has in the last 24 hours become an insane asylum:

TwoTitsandaVote.com is getting a lot of attention. I owe a serious pint to bloggers who helped get the word out online and to the people who shared their press contacts and who helped prep me for media interviews. It worked:

• Irish Independent – Page 10
• Irish Daily Mirror – Page 27
• The Star – Page 20

I have also had a landline and a mobile pinned to my ear since 4 am yesterday (more on that later!) and have done a bunch of taped interviews, now rolling out live interviews (updating this list as they are booked):

• 9.05 Radio Kerry (Dierdra Walsh was brilliant)
• 10:15 Cork 103 FM (David absolutely smashing)
• 10.45 LMFM Drogheda (Michael a little chilly)
• 11.05 TiperraryFM (Seamus Martin very engaged)
• 11:30 Midlands 103 (Shorter than I’d hoped given region)
• 1.00 Spin 103.8 FM Dublin (Team very clued in, rock)
• Monday at 9:05 Ocean FM in Sligo (note to self: DO NOT forget)
• Tuesday at 16:55 The Last Word on Today FM
• Thursday at 3 pm, Inside Out also via podcast!

Newstalk, who canceled yesterday, are also trying to confirm for Life with Orla Berry for today somewhere from 12 to 12:30 so hopefully that will work out as well! Bummer.

This is nuts. I’m exhausted. I’m also thrilled. Totally, totally thrilled.

So as numbers grew for the Blog Awards Ladies Tea Party event, I rang Market Bar to increase the table size. Apparently after 15 people, they prefer that you not just sit there and get pissed. In fact, they insist upon feeding you, probably to counteract massive amounts of booze.

So large parties are required to take on a very reasonably priced €15, two-course set menu. Which is sensible and in fact probably the cheapest meal you can find in Dublin, but Ina and I had not planned for this and of course announced the event as being free. While we are delighted to break bread and share a meal with our blogging sisters, we didn’t want to tack on a surprise cost or have people drop out because of money issues.

Martha Rotter at Microsoft Ireland came to the rescue: Microsoft is sponsoring the Tea Party and it would appear that Bill Gates is now buying us dinner even though he himself is not allowed to attend. Which is pretty fantastic, not least of all because I was very much beginning to wonder how I was going to squeeze my supper in between all these cocktails.

Many thanks to Elly Parker for making the approach, and to Martha for making it happen.

I will be circulating an email with details (yes, there are choices, yes there are vegetarian options, yes dinner is free, yes you still have to pay for your own drinks as planned) around February 1st to everyone attending, but I really just wanted to give the heads up on this slight change of plan and say thank you to Elly and Martha for making this headache go away in grand style.

We’re going to have a great time!

Conn over at Edgecast is organising a meetup of Irish language bloggers in the lobby of the Alexander at 4PM on Saturday March 1st. See here for info and Irish language banner.

The phototastic RedMum is organising a photoblogger meetup for the afternoon of March 1st. I’m unclear if this is a photo-taking tour or a pub crawl, but I’m sure all will be revealed.

The scrumptious yet Humble Housewife is organising a food bloggers and fans brunch for the morning after the night before at the equally scrumptious Ely CHQ.

The gracious Ina O’Murchu and myself are organising a Ladies Tea Party at Market Bar before the awards. Warning: may include small parts, martinis and olives.

I’ll update this list as more events are announced, and of course if you’d like someone to make you a promotional graphic for your event, you only need to ask!

Bock the Robber has very kindly invited me out for a pint. Unfortunately, I am otherwise engaged that afternoon.

A few men have sent me mails or Twitters to ask the same question Bock has, namely “If I hosted a blogging event and made it men-only, would a hailstorm of shit not come down on my head?” (So far, no such queries from anyone of the female persuasion.)

My basic position is that there is zero need for a men-only event because men, in their sheer numbers, tend to dominate most tech and blogging events in Ireland. Not, mind you, intentionally; I do not think that men in the sphere we’re talking about here have set out to disenfranchise women from these events. But for a wide variety of reasons, women simply do not engage in these kinds of valuable networking, learning and leadership gigs in the same proportions as their male counterparts.

I am completely used to walking into a meetup, a BarCamp, a conference or an event to find I am the only woman, or one of a very few women in attendance. I am routinely the only woman presenter or panelist at events where I am asked to speak. I am shocked and delighted that six of the 38 people currently registered for the upcoming TechLudd in Dublin are women. I owe Anton €20 because my guess was three. And that was optimistic.

So my personal point of view is that to have an event described as “Men Only” is intentionally exclusive, whereas given the current gender imbalance in technology, blogging and authority in Ireland, a woman only event is an effort to be inclusive. We may simply enjoy a moment of strength in numbers and several bottles of nicely decanted Chardonnay. Or we may plot to raise the profile of some of the best among us, find ways to encourage each other to step forward into more events, and devise nefarious ways take over the Irish blogsphere.

After all, studies do show that we’re more cooperative, you know.

That said, we’re not talking about a conference, BarCamp or other self-described “tech event” here. We’re talking about drinks at a bar. And I have zero problem with the boys gathering for a friendly pint while we paint each other’s nails and compare manicures.

Statistically, women are also better endowed with skills for compromise, conflict resolution and consensus, so on that note I’d like to add:

Bock, I am sincerely looking forward to meeting you at the Blog Awards, no matter how much we may disagree on this issue. And it would be my pleasure to buy you a pint.

Ina and I are extending an invitation to all of Ireland’s women bloggers to join us for tea and cakes (or martinis and olives, if you prefer) for a few hours before the Irish Blog Awards.

What:

An informal get together to meet one another, dish the dirt, share a meal and chat about women and blogging in Ireland. Make friends before the Blog Awards so you know more friendly faces in the swarm!

Where:

The Market Bar • Fade Street • Dublin 2 • (01) 6139094
From 4:30 until whenever, probably around 6:30 PM

The Market Bar is approximately 12 minutes on foot from The Alexander Hotel, where the Irish Blog Awards are taking place at 7:30 PM. Dinner is sponsored by Microsoft Ireland. The Market Bar provides free WiFi.

RSVP

Dinner is free thanks to Microsoft sponsorship, which means you just need to cover your bar bill. Please RSVP by posting a comment here so we have some idea of how large a table to book.

Invite Your Friends!

If you’d like to extend the invitation to more people and let them know about this pre-event, you can copy this graphic for a blog post or sidebar and link it to this post so others can RSVP too. The more the merrier!

Please link to: http://sabrinadent.com/2008/01/12/irish-blog-awards-tea-party/

See you there!

Update: If you’d like a list of all of the events around the Blog Awards, please see here.

I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds last night where there was a montage about a physicist who was a brilliant theorist because he could see string theory in action, literally visualise it in action in front of him. It reminded me of (and was clearly lifted from) A Beautiful Mind, in which John Nash has a similar visual relationship with Group Theory. It is possibly worth noting that both of these guys, whilst brilliant, were also schizophrenic.

I am neither particularly brilliant nor particularly schizophrenic, but I can relate to the mind-mapping experience as depicted on film because I have a similarly uh, active imagination when it comes to organising information. This was particularly useful when working with vast government clients who had tons of information to distribute online; left alone in a conference room with a stack of notecards, I could break it down their information and lay it out in a flow of information architecture that was intuitive to the eventual site visitors because it was intuitive to me, even if wasn’t the way the organisation itself visualised or organised it’s own data. Mapping it mentally took no time at all; it was the writing out and physically arranging the notecards bit that could take hours.

In my little schizophrenic way, I have a handy knack for seeing, visually, how information should flow, to whom and from where, where it should enter and where it should leave.

It occurred to me this morning that this is there’s a kind of related intelligence businesses need when they enter social spaces like MySpace or Facebook – but rarely seem to have. The problem is that a lot of marketing people catch on to the latests buzz, like “everyone is on Facebook” and simply follow the herd. They turn up, create an account for their brand, and have no clearcut strategy on what they’re going to do there. I assumed, for example, that Ben & Jerry’s – an extremely personal brand ripe for Facebook – would have a storming Facebook strategy and a massive Facebook entourage. When I went to add them as a Friend, it was clear they had no strategy at all and, accordingly, 82 followers.

Needless to say, I didn’t add them as a Friend.

Contrast this with Greenpeace USA, which is working Facebook like a hooker on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. They get that people come to Facebook to interact with their friends, and that to have friends on Facebook, they need to give people something to interact with or something to do. In their case, they’re providing lots of video to watch and photos to share, plus posting on their own message wall. They are also participating in a viral giving campaign, and while they’re not raising a ton of cash, I’m pretty sure this campaign will be “shared” heavily on Facebook, effectively working as a native viral to increase the numbers of their 1,000+ friends.

The thing is, a strategy for Ben & Jerry’s on Facebook wouldn’t have been hard to formulate if they’d actually looked at how information flows inside that space. They didn’t, or if they did, they failed to understand what they were looking at and made some critical errors right off the bat.

• I love Ben and I love Jerry; they are my friends and I have consumer allegiance to them as personal icons of a brand and product I love. So where are the photos from the company’s history? Where are Ben and Jerry? Come to think of it, where is the ice cream?
• Their account is called Ben & Jerry’s Prudential. Prudential is an insurance company. I do not want to be Facebook friends with an insurance company, thank you very much. Thank God they didn’t call it Ben & Jerry’s Prudential Unilever…
• Their profile’s Information section is straight out of their annual report. It is totally corporate and utterly impersonal; it is the opposite of what Facebook is about. It fails on the platform.
• The only part I can relate to at all is the statement that “Ben & Jerry’s is founded on, and dedicated to, a sustainable corporate concept of linked prosperity.” OK so where are the eco news headlines, where is the sustainability campaign I can get behind?

With a brand like Ben & Jerry’s, you could have amazing viral reach on Facebook. A couple of grand invested in developing an app that lets people give each other free Ben & Jerry’s scoops or build each other ice cream cones would find a home on my Facebook page. They could help undo some of the brand perception damage from being associated with Unilever by creating a fantastic sustainability campaign on Facebook. They could do all kinds of positive things for their brand if they had half a clue about the space they’ve entered.

But they don’t. Ben & Jerry’s is lame. And they have no friends.

Normally I hate memes. As a general rule, tag me and I will smack you.

But I like making images, so I fell for a meme Sean Bonner Twittered – three steps to creating your own imaginary CD cover.

• Go here. The first article title on the page is the name of your band.
• Go here. The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.
• Go here. The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Of course, having decided I was going to participate in one of these fluffy things for the first time in like, ever, I get stuck with an album cover image that looks like the fucking Corrs are about to emerge from the mist.

There are some really great album covers in the Flickr pool. Mine is not one of them. But as Samuel Johnson just taught me,

Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.

And on that note, the art department is totally fired.

Registration for TechLudd is now open. The first event is on 24 January in Dublin, so if you’re interested in start-ups, funding, free beer, cool people, Paddy’s Valley, showing off your stuff or what have you, come along.

Go register already. Go. Shoo.