NBN and Irish music

Much has been written about the various panels and speakers; for reports check the Israeli bloggers on my sidebar.

Zavi Apfelbaum of the Israeli foreign ministry mentioned Ireland as a country that had recently invested in a "brand." The Orthodox wedding I attended last week featured Irish music and most everyone (except me of course) knew how to dance to it. Coincidence?

What I have been thinking about since the conference is the relationship between Israeli and non-Israeli bloggers. Those of us who live here can present an insider's perspective on Israeli life. Whether we promote aliyah, defend Israel's policies or discuss our day-to-day lives, we know that because of our language and background our main audience will always be American (until NBN becomes even more successful, or mashiach comes, or both). We cater to that audience, or at the very least keep it in mind. Much of our feedback is from the Americans. So I enjoyed hanging out with Israeli bloggers for a while. We tend to forget how much we have in common.

For next year, I suggest small groups and perhaps one keynote address. This will allow bloggers to choose topics that interest them and give everyone a chance to talk. And we all know bloggers like to talk. Sitting in the back I became a passive spectator -- and I use the word spectator loosely; you had a better view from the webcast. But I did hear every creak of that annoying door.