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Amanda UnBoomed

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

BlogHer Calling

Lisa Stone, co-founder of BlogHer, who I spoke with on a new media panel at Harvard last fall, has been kind enough to invite me to BlogHer. I think it may be just what I need after all the crap that has gone down... a little camaraderie with some other strong women.

I am totally psyched to see Zadi Diaz, Steve Woolf and Steve & Millie Garfield. Also-- and this is why I am super psyched-- for once I'm going to an event and I don't have the pressure of having to present. I can just have fun with "the ladies". Yay!

On a side note, my bud, Andy Carvin emailed me a link to this video today which was made by a group of inner-city students. He has posted some background info about the project here. I wanted to share it with all of you. It's really powerful. I just can't tell you how excited it makes me to see videoblogging enabling all these new voices. By "new" I guess I mean voices that can no longer be lost in the ether...





Speaking of things lost in the ether, the current Rocketboom comment deletion level is at ORANGE.

posted by Amanda @ 5:22 PM  

30 Comments:

  • At 4:20 PM, Blogger RT said…

    It's been sad seeing such a good thing self-destruct. I don't understand Andrew's logic. You still own 49% of the show, but now you don't do any work for the show and you know, make it entertaining. How is that a good business move?

    I for one love the gossip. I had no idea all of this was going on behind the scenes. It should have been so perfect.

     

  • At 4:34 PM, Blogger Mr Murray said…

    I was shocked to learn that my rather innocuous, yet leaning towards the negative, comments in the past few days on ROCKETBOOM had been deleted. Great, a revisionist version of consumer response to satiisfy an ego trip and to falsify public opinion to potential and existing advertising. What other information is false on ROCKETBOOM?

    But on the brighter side - best wishes on that malebashing thingy.

     

  • At 5:17 PM, Blogger Mayren said…

    Power to da Ladies! This will be a great break for you Amanda.
    Chin up, watch the posture, and poof your a dazzling site for sore eyes and everyone awaits your re-appearance on something else fantastic soon.

     

  • At 8:11 PM, Blogger William Hung Cooking said…

    hey 'manda!!!! what is level orange? i was wondering why there was no BAD comments on RB!!!

     

  • At 9:28 PM, Blogger xorrox said…

    So no house cleaning, no lawncare, no barberisting (is that a word?)...even the tango lessons didn't spark an interest...

    Alright then: corporate style!
    How about a camera, servers, free bandwidth, and a pony?

    oO-_-Oo

     

  • At 9:32 PM, Blogger Amanda said…

    Don't get me wrong! I love strong men and strong women. I like strong, smart, fun people. :)

     

  • At 7:17 AM, Blogger Jamie said…

    Comment moderation is only kosher in rare situations (i.e. profanity, grotesque slander... etc), but even if someone is spread lies... comments are a DISCUSSION. Don't delete RESPOND. You'd think Andrew would have learned the ills of not engaging on the conversation when he withheld telling his side of the story for so long.

    But I completely agree with FILMEX. "NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE!"
    I may not completely understand the circumstances that brought Amanda away from the negotiation table and to proclaiming that she was fired. It is even more rediculous that none of the media coverage that grew out of this story failed to explain the story any better than what Amanda's blog and her last video said.

    Corporate Media Is Lazy

     

  • At 7:52 AM, Blogger Unknown said…

    As with any break-up, there will be the necessary choosing of sides by the 'friends'. I choose to believe Amanda's tale, both because it is the most logical and consistent, but also because she has put her reputational neck on the line for us 5 days a week for two years and gained our trust by being real, and honest, and open. I will follow Amanda's exploits where ever she goes not out of some creepy, stalker mentality, but because I have come to respect and trust her her views, and I just can't watch someone else trying to mimic that as if 'Amanda' was just a character created behind the scenes. And I think it also speaks volumes that she is not deleting comments here that don't agree with her.

     

  • At 8:51 AM, Blogger PAI said…

    Katie Curic can't hold a candle to Amanda... Nowhere near as orginal and honest.

    As for Andrew... only a matter of time before the true colors came through. Censorship... wow...

    Great video. I work with kids in theatre and it's good to see that there are other outlets were they can be productive and learn how important that is.

    Have fun at Blogher...

     

  • At 9:21 AM, Blogger Amanda said…

    I think comment moderation is fine in several cases. I delete those that are verbally abusive or refer to body parts. But you have to draw a line. And for me, "Rocketboom without Amanda is like the Chicago Bulls without Jordan" does not go in the "to be deleted" category...

    big daddy— the other “kid” I teamed up with is 36 years old.

    If he was open to letting me work on our business, per our original written agreement, and not be “just a face”, this all could have all been avoided.

    I wish I could make things clearer for all of you... I guess I just don't know how, but I'm up for anything, since I have the truth on my side.

    On an up note, I'm working on this video I hope you all will like... back to editing! :)

     

  • At 9:23 AM, Blogger James said…

    Wow, I think I am the first to see your teaser about editing a video! I must say, I hope you respect those in your audience who would rather not take sides and want to enjoy the new boom AND your next project.

    Whatever happened, it's not as important as my grandmother's terminal illness. Whatever happened, I refuse to be more emotionally involved in it than my friend who has MS and is having her dream of becoming an opera singer slowly taken away by an incurable malady. (Thanks, Bush, for your "morality" and condemning my friend to a death sentence.)

    Sorry for the rant. I guess I'm trying to say, I'm really looking forward to your next video. Everyone needs a little light in their lives. Sometimes, you're that light.

    Oh, no offense, but for the reasons cited above, I wasn't all that enthralled with the linked video.

     

  • At 10:20 AM, Blogger PAI said…

    would you interview joan for your blog amanda?

    Might be intersting video, they look so much a like. :-)

     

  • At 10:32 AM, Blogger Amanda said…

    charlie,

    I have and will continue to tell what "really happened". I am done speaking with the media about the details of all this splitsville crap, but will always be here to answer any questions for those who keep up with me on my personal blog/vlog, or, in other words, for those who really care.

    It had nothing to do with sex! Gross. And I have a boyfriend, thank you. But all that other stuff sounds accurate. I would add greed and jealousy to the list.

    For right now, interviewing people on UnBoomed is not something that interests me.

     

  • At 11:29 AM, Blogger Amanda said…

    I HAVE to moderate comments because I get a lot of boob related ones. Sometimes it takes me a little while to approve them, if I am away from my computer. Anyone got a trick for approving comments on Blogger via a blackberry? Mine always says "page not found" when I try to approve even after I've signed in.

    I'm interested in hearing all voices that aren't abusive or pornographic :)... about a year ago Kenyatta Cheese convinced me of the "living room" comment section theory. So to every comment I ask, "would I kick this person out of my living room for making this remark?" ... I disagree with a lot of what is said in my living room, but I rarely kick anyone out. I usually just respond in a comment myself, which is what I'm doing now.

     

  • At 12:35 PM, Blogger PAI said…

    "Sometimes it takes me a little while to approve them, if I am away from my computer."

    Wait a minute, Amanda... do you mean to tell me that you actually have a life and are not just sitting in your little NYC apartment awaiting our beckon call? How dare you! :-) I mean really...

     

  • At 2:16 PM, Blogger James said…

    Question: Someone posted to RB using your name and requesting that Drew remove your name from the "About" section. Was that really you?

    Really looking forward to your next video.

    Smart Revolution

     

  • At 3:05 PM, Blogger David Cintron said…

    ah shoo, my comment got deleted!

     

  • At 4:08 PM, Blogger Teresa said…

    Will,
    Your gross.
    Spend a little less time looking at porn on the internet please.

     

  • At 6:30 PM, Blogger Author said…

    Amanda, feel free to delete any comments you want to; it's your blog.

    As for body part references I think you're 100% justified.

    You are a spirit. It's like Plato's cave. It's your spirit talking to our spirits on the computer screen.

    And there's "projection" too... you are many things to many people, our minds connect dots that are probably just in our minds.

    This goes on and on... "It's elephants all the way down".

    More coffee please :)

    And don't forget the videos :)

    "tifwutu" my eye. (secret word)

     

  • At 6:42 PM, Blogger ChrisM70 said…

    Who do some people think they are?
    Note to complainers:

    This blog belongs to AMANDA.
    Not you.

    If she wants to delete comments, she can (including this one).
    If you don't like it, go away and start your own blog.
    Comments are a privilege, not a right.

    I see the stupid things some people say, and there are times when I am amazed that anyone would want to allow comments at all!
    But then I see some of the great things people have to say and I'm glad that comments allow us to share.

    Blogs are about personal expression and not having other people tell you what to do - it's your personal thing that you can share with others.

    Spend more time enjoying it and less time complaining.

    Amanda, thanks for continuing to post.
    I'm sure you have SO MANY things going on (offers, projects, plans) that it's nice you can blog and keep up with the fans every few days.

    Can't wait for your triumphant return to the pixels of my monitor!

     

  • At 8:35 PM, Blogger Steven said…

    I believe in freedom of the press and such things, but I understand why she doesn't allow dumbass comments. Why would she allow a five word comment with abusive language? How does that help anyone? If people expect to see a comment they make that is abusive or racist or prejudice or whatever then they should think to themselves, would I like this said to or about me? Freedom of speech is an awesome concept and I don't like censorship but where does it end? Do we allowed radical Muslim clerics on CNN. No I doubt it.

     

  • At 4:13 AM, Blogger Ed said…

    "Do we allowed radical Muslim clerics on CNN. No I doubt it."

    Sure. First of all, the ones who decide what goes on CNN are not "we", they are executives of CNN. What we do is decide whether to watch whatever it is that CNN execs decide to show, or not. Personally, I have chosen "not" since oh... about the end of the first Gulf War, thereabouts.

    And when CNN's ratings go in the toilet, then the advertisers don't pay as much for commercial time, and CNN's revenue drops. It's the free market, yay!

     

  • At 7:02 AM, Blogger PAI said…

    Steve, it ends with personal restraint. It's very easy to be a coward and sit in your underwear and post nasty things to people you're never going to meet. It's no different than the people who decide to flame the writers of political (right or left) blogs instead of arguing the issues.

    While watching people flame Amanda for deleting ther posts I kept saying... “Who's blog is this again?” I'm glad to see there are other people who agree with me on that one.

    There is a huge difference between deleting offensive remarks on your personal blog and deleting negative remarks on a site that by its very nature asks you to feedback. That speaks to guilt about what happened.

     

  • At 9:09 AM, Blogger reachnyc said…

    Amanda UnBoomed is a cool website. Thanks.

    www.reachnyc.com

     

  • At 1:40 PM, Blogger nycdesigner said…

    I agree with censorship of her own blog...this is not a "freedom-of-speech" forum for anyone to comment on anything...especially inappropriate references re "behavior that would get you kicked out of her living room"...or even smashed in the face, for that matter.

    'manda, I have been the one [Jeff], on many occassions during the ol' RB v1 days, to tell these frat-based creeps to lay off the body parts and generally-offensive remarks.

    I mean, h-e-l-l-o? Guys! Duh!

    It is not cool, and even less smart, to try to have a relationship with ANYTHING but Amanda's professional and political mind.

    Boundaries dudes! You can't even cross the line about what clothes she prefers, e.g. boxers or briefs. And if you don't know where it [the line] is, then deleting your comment is the least of your worries!

     

  • At 10:24 PM, Blogger Spamboy said…

    It's interesting that the comment deletion level at Rocketboom is the same color as the unhealthy air quality index here in North Texas.

     

  • At 12:10 AM, Blogger Steven said…

    Eh Ed, CNN was just an example. I don't even live in the USA so I don't watch it eithier. I live the the UK. Our news isn't entertainment.

     

  • At 1:45 AM, Blogger Tony said…

    Strike Back. Strike Back now. Stop dancing at weddings and start dancing on the web. It's time to make your own vidcast. Do not wait because the web moves fast, fast, fast. By next month your comment count will be down to under 20.

     

  • At 6:07 PM, Blogger ChrisM70 said…

    Amanda,

    Just a thought, but when you return to vlogging, I think you should call your show "Amanda Who?"

    I think that would be a good way to stick to all those people who think of you as last year's fashion!

    Whaddya think? :)

     

  • At 8:07 PM, Blogger rockethenry said…

    Once again, Amanda, you touch us all with your visions, your feelings, your caring, your intelligence. Thank you and thank you Andy Carvin.

     

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