- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 1
- 7
-
Sparkle (0)
When BlogHer asked if I could attend the Women’s Online Summit at the White House, the answer was hells yeah. So last Monday, I went to the White House with representatives from 25 other online sites to be briefed on a wide-range of issues as well as learn about the informational resources the White house is making available to news services and the American public in general.
If you want the background story about my emergency pee break at the Shell station or shaking a certain President's hand while he gazed into my eyes, you'll have to click over to my blog. Because for once in my life, I'm going to attempt to jump directly to the heart of the matter -- what is affecting all Americans. (And for our non-American readers, I hope you still peruse this rundown of the day and give us feedback about how these same issues are dealt with in your country.)
I entered with was a vague understanding that we'd be discussing broad categories such as the economy and the Let's Move! initiative. I was worried that since the gathering was pegged as a "women's" online summit that there would be a pinking down of the information.
What do I mean by “pinking down” information — you know how tool companies put out inferior tools with a pink handle on it because they think women want pretty pink things while they repair their house? Well, I don’t want the pink version — I want the hardcore metal tools that are going to get the job done because I am serious as all get-out about home repair. Yes, I’m a woman, but I don’t need my tools to look pretty — I only need them to get the job done.
Which is different from tools that are made with my small hands in mind, that know that my body is built differently from a man and my strength is in my legs rather than my arms. Tailoring a tool to a person is not the same as pinking it down.
So I was fearful that a Women’s Online Summit could be the pinking down of information, and I didn't want the softer side of our economic crisis; I wanted to hear the facts, plain and simple. I happily realized within seconds of the day beginning that not only was the information not pinked down, but that the inclusion of the word “women” was merely a lens with which to view the same information that would be presented at any Online Summit. Major accolades to the White House for starting these conversations with various groups, answering questions, and asking for feedback and ideas for helping disseminate information to the American people. And what I learned transcended America because the ideology is applicable across the world when looking at women’s place in society.
So thank you, White House.
The day was arranged by the Office of Communications and had about 15 or so speakers covering a wide-range of topics: from education to military family outreach to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. The first 3/4ths of the day were briefings by the speakers (everyone from the First Lady's chief of staff, Tina Tchen to Elizabeth Warren, who has to be one of the most dynamic, engaging speakers I've ever heard). The final 1/4th of the day was a discussion on how the administration is utilizing online media as well as brainstorming about how they can do it better.
Because they don't take the online world for granted. I think they know that they might not be in power right now without the grassroots ability to organize and communicate quickly which is afforded by the Internet. From day one, this administration has been about two-way communication, and while that's a difficult task with 310 million people, they have to be commended
