BlogHer: how has blogging changed your world?

I'm at BlogHer today, and meeting all sorts of bloggers, podcasters. This is a different kind of "tech" conference, and I'm psyched to get to connect with this group.

I arrived a few minutes late to the opening session today, but caught a few of the participants' responses to the question "How has blogging changed your world?"

Mary Hodder's world has changed because blogging allows her to be heard. She says she's not a "yeller" but her blogs over the past 4 years have given her a voice. It has also enhanced the recent launch of her company's website and service Dabble.

Millie, an 80-year young blogger, shared three major changes: (1) her normal routine of reading the Boston Globe in the morning has changed such that she first goes to her computer and reads her favorit blogs and checks for comments on her own blog; (2) she thinks more about events in her life, asking the question "Would that be a good blog post?"; (3) She now has friends from around the world, and has opportunities from time to time to meet her new friends in person.

And for Shuna Fish Lydon, author of a food blog called eggbeater, shared an amazing story about her "a day without immigrants" post. Blogging has changed her world as that post illustrates in giving her a platform to discuss political and personal issues. (Her statement at the conference was way more poingnant than I have been able to capture here, and I hope someone else has capturted the audio of her statement so I can link to it here.)