I think they are making mistake in not putting you on a panel. There's definitely an under-representation of women, especially frum women. Boo, hiss.
To me, you are the star of the Jewish women bloggers.
Leora, I was not expecting that. Thank you.
Leora - I totally agree - both about mom-in-israel being a star and about the under-representation of frum women at this convention.
I don't mean to take away anything from the great bloggers who were chosen to speak, but sometimes the influence a blog has can't be judged simply by traffic numbers. Some bloggers I was very surprised will not be on a panel:
Mother in Israel
Life in Israel
Orthonomics
Me-ander
Thanks frumhouse! But you all better cool it, or you might deter other commmenters 
.
FrumHouse: I'll pass your comments on to the management...(and your's too Leora)
True, I'm just an ordinary attendee. I, bli neder, hope to have a sign up sheet for kcc. I wish they allocated more open time to communicate with everyone. The second panel, which is supposed to be open, is much too short.
Actually we all agree that there is an under representation of women on the panels and the flight, though originally it wasn't that way.
I not going to discuss individual bloggers, but originally the ratio was 1:1, but as we approached the announcement date, most of the women bloggers we were finalizing things with (both to fly in, and to be on the panels) told us they couldn't participate, and that left us with a gender void.
There are plenty of great bloggers (both men and women), and selecting who would be on the panels was extremely difficult and time consuming, not to mention, they had to meet various criteria set by Nefesh B'Nefesh, and the criteria was not just based on gender or numbers.
We also tried to balance the panels out by choosing as our Keynote speaker Zavi Apfelbaum (female), as well as one of the panel moderators (Esther Kustanowitz).
Obviously anyone can find any reason to complain about whoever was ultimately selected, or the panel topics, or the speakers, or the time, or the date, or... (and I've heard them all so far), and if someone wants to complain instead of having a good time at the convention, there's not that much can be done about that.
Finally, if there is someone you highly recommend, then please contact me offline. We are definitely open to hearing suggestions.
p.s. MomInIsrael has protektzia. She knows exactly who to talk to.
Honestly, the only thing that bothers me, not the male/female/dati/less so, is the fact that jblog carnivals are totally ignored.
I may be mistaken, but I don't think any of the panelists are regular or even occasional jblog carnival hosts. That totally skews the picture.
I want to add a little support to what Batya said. To give an analogy of Jewish Federation support: the Jewish Federations could raise all their money through ten real estate developers. Or, they could encourage the community to give $10 as well as getting the big contributions. Blog carnivals are a way to get the $10 contributions from the "little bloggers", if you get my analogy. Make money=traffic and maybe the analogy works?
I'm not surprised that men can more easily come to a convention than women, especially women with young children(who, of course, are a key element of the Jewish future).
I'm pretty sure Frumsatire and My Shrapnel have hosted HH at least once.
P.S. I don't think anyone should be singled out for not participating in a carnival. If a blogger doesn't feel his or her blog will benefit from it, why should s/he invest the time? If there are not enough bloggers who are interested in hosting a particular carnival, perhaps there isn't a great need for it. There are also other ways to contribute to the Jblogosphere.
We are 4 frum and spanish women living in Jerusalem. Sadly there isn´t too much spanish frum blogs , (i don´t want to say any). All what we have is blogs in english like yours...
Thank you, Muchas Gracias
Elisheba, I would write in Spanish if I could! Thank you.
I'll be attending, b"h, as will DrSavta.
We're small-time though...
I'm small-time too, but very interested in the Jblogging scene - especially by American olim (both fresh off the plane and veteran). Hoping the conference will help me focus my own blog a bit more...
I am a beginner as well. I actually started my blog to be able to comment on Batya's blog a while back when you had to be a blogger to do so. (That has changed.) I have occaisionally had things to say myself and hope to write more often. I look forward to meeting other bloggers, especially ones I have been following for a long time.
Hi there,
Though I am EXTREMELY SHY (lol) I am also very curious, so may attend.
Thanks, everyone. Miriam, I'm jet-lagged--what's your excuse?
I will be there...
thanks frumhouse... but better for everyone that I am a guest rather than a panel member. I have nothing spart enough to say anyway.. who am I to teach other people how to blog? the guys and gals who are on the panel are in a league of their own...
I'm not as modest as Rafi and would have loved to be involved, but if I were picking panelists on those topics I wouldn't have picked myself either. So I don't have any sore feelings on the subject.
Stephen, how do you know I didn't talk to my protekzia already?
rafi, mother in israel, and batya - You are all very modest about your talents, which is why so many people like listening to what you all have to say. However, I think Rafi hit upon a good point. Although you aren't on panels - you are well known bloggers who could be an unofficial welcoming/shmoozing committee of sorts - it would be a treat for your readers to get a chance to meet you all in person.
Although, you all seem like the type to go up to someone who seems a little lost anyway - like what Frumsatire talks about in his rants about unfriendly shuls - you would "extend a hand" to a new person who is alone.
G-d willing, if there's a great turn-out, the panels will be a drop in the bucket, except for those who are watching via the hook-ups.
I plan on being there, with my camera and KCC sign-up.
The following HH, who's doing it?, should have a nice big section with everyone's reactions.
bit ne. I am pretty introverted in real life. I also keep to myself a lot.
BTW, frumhouse and moi - while my not being a panelist is not something I think they are missing, I really think I should have been chosen as one of the 8 bloggers to have been given tickets to fly the flight with a family and blog about it. That is a their big loss...
Rafi G, Since they call this the "first" I presume they're planning more, so an idea would be a sort of "competition" of blog post requests by chu"l jbloggers requesting a fixed number of seats for next year.
Actually, the entire program can/should have more input from various jbloggers. But, again, this is the first, and B'Ezrat Hashem the future ones will be better.
We Chicagoans (at least Cub fans) live by the motto of There is Always Next Year!
The program actually had a lot of input from various JBloggers.
Many people aren't aware that the JBlogosphere encompasses some 1000 Jewish blogs that represent the entire gamut of Jewish life and not just a specific clique or circle of bloggers.
We could have limited ourselves to just the MomInIsrael fanclub (which is a large and great group of bloggers), but then we would have missed entire sectors of the JBlogosphere, and that wouldn't have been fair to them either.
Rafi: We expressly did not want to turn this into a popularity contest or competition.
The bloggers chosen to fly were selected because they fulfilled a certain category NBN wanted covered. Not all categories ended up getting filled in as much as we had wanted because certain bloggers had to back out in the end or simply couldn't make it.
Finally, as I said before. Anyone can find any number of reasons to kvetch, or you can participate and have a great time.
As for the JBlog Carnivals. Jack, the current driving force behind Havel Haveilim, the #1 Jewish blog carnival is being flown in.
I don't understand why this is such a huge deal if you are on a panel or not.
The #1 reason for me going to this is to meet other bloggers and shmooz with them and have a fun time.
Why are people so hung up on being on a panel or not? Do you need to speak and be heard? That's what your blog is for!
I honestly don't feel the need to be on a panel...go and have a good time.
Elisheba: There are MANY Jewish Spanish Blogs out there! I wrote a whole posting about it here
In fact, if you would like to help update the list, that would be fantastic.
Jameel & Stephen--I don't think you should take the "complaints" here too personally. The fact that so many people wish they were on a panel but still plan on attending is a positive statement about the NBN conference. If I was putting on a first-time conference, my number one irrational fear would be that no one would show up. The fact that so many people want to be panelists or be on the Aliyah Party Plane is a really, really good sign.
We had a long list of people we wanted to send on the flight and be on the panels (including some named above). Whittling it down was extremely difficult.
As it is, it we already have more bloggers who have registered to participate in person than we have space in the hall (and its not a small hall), so we are trying to figure out how to resolve that, as we don't want to turn any Jewish blogger away.
Next year, we are planning this as a half-day or full-day event, with more panels, and the like.
Stephen - I am not complaining. This is just friendly banter here (though I would have liked to qualify for the flight!!!)
Stephen and Jameel - it actually sounds like you organizers went to great pains to make everything fair and feature bloggers who make a big contribution to the jblogosphere. The fact that everyone is so excited and talking about it bodes well for the success of the event.
Rafi G - I don't think that those already living in Israel would qualify for the free flight into Israel! LOL. Although, perhaps you could be on a reverse NBN plane, chronicling the experience of a family who is moving away from Israel and into a country you've always wanted to visit?
Rafi: You would only qualify if you were wearing a Burqa...
(Hmmm - that's an interesting solution for my anonymity)
FrumHouse: Actually, I am being sent by NbN from Israel to NYC and then back home on the NbN Aliya flight...as are Treppenwitz and a few others.
Jameel,
I´m glad to see that there are a lot of jewish blogs...but frum blogs in spanish???
frumhouse, I do not think NBN has planes taking yordim out of Israel... maybe there is room for someone to start such an organization?
Jameel - you could wear the burqa with a yellow face taped to the front...
i'll be there .. i find that there are a lot of great "small" blogs out there in the jew-sphere but I just hope that the bloggers on the panel come from all walks of life (religiously)
Thanks, everyone. Miriam, I'm jet-lagged--what's your excuse?
My excuse for being shy? Maybe its my size. lol. Aug. 20th is around my due date.
Also hubby wants to come. Can we bring the whole family?
Miriam, I meant the fact that you commented in the middle of the night. Stephen will have to answer the second question.
Ahuvah, I added you. Looking forward to meeting everyone.
El Sabor Del Rimón will be there.......
rafi g - I was just being silly.
jameel - Actually, you will probably be a lot of help to the new family you are "picking up." Lots of advice to offer on living in Israel...
Elisheba: Some of those blogs in the Spanish Jewish blogger list I provided are definitely frum. (Will try to find specifics -- though I'm sure your spanish is better than mine 
FrumHouse: Hey - if I can help out an oleh family, it would be my pleasure!
I'll be there.
I came in on two NBN flights as a blogger/journalist, and it was just thrilling.
Now I'll be bowing out of this conversation. I'm looking forward to meeting y'all f2f. Maybe next time we'll meet at Tel Shiloh!
G-d willing I will be there too.
You including all the people watching online?
I'll be there. It will be weird coming to a "party" on my own, knowing people, but never having met them in person. But I'm really looking forward to it. I have no interest in being on a panel, but I would have loved to blog about the NBN experience. Even though mine was 10 months ago, it was so crazy that I got off the plane completely shell-shocked. I'd like to relive it, minus the stress.
Sign me up for next year, Stephen.
I'll be attending.
(You can list me.)
I do NOT understand any of this blog world - I just peek a little and wonder how many blogs people read and do they ever get off the computer???? It feels so easy to get sucked in - I'd love to read more but I'm already being told by my family that I'm addicted to the computer!!!!!
Where do I read more about this get together? is it only for bloggers??
Stephen, you should go from strength to strength - trying to please everyone as you must already know never ever happens.
Ezzie, no. But I'll try and wave to you.
Klara, did you see the link in my post? Sign up and see what happens.
WBM, looking forward to seeing you again. Yaakov, after this people will be stopping you in the street, not just in shul.
Well, I cannot make it to Israel, but I plan on participating in the live Webcast! As one of the (very) small potatoes and non-frum bloggers, I am very interested in hearing the diverse perspectives of the various panelists.
I'm small, and I'm there! Yay!
Jerusalemite will be in attendance as well. Please add us to your list!
Thanks.
i am going to be the unoffical microblogger attending the event. i'll be twittering live
My mouse has been twisted, as it were by various old blogging friends from a few years back and I'll be going too, even though I'm well past my blogging prime... should be amusing!
Harry - looking fwd to meeting you!
i'll be there,assuming child arrangements work out
child CARE arrangements
No child care arrangements 
I wish.
I'll be there.
Wondering why I don't appear on the list (I signed up ages ago).
You can certainly mark me down.
I still feel like one of the "new kids on the block", but I've been haniging out now for almost a year in the JBloggosphere.
I am excited to meet other bloggers!!
Thanks for your sympathy , Stephen; I was assuming I was on my own for that one. Hopefully the Mr. will be able to pitch in on that one.
Sorry for the dumb q, but what's a micro blogger?
Childcare arrangements permitting, looks like both Jameel and Jameela will be attending
RivkA, this is an unofficial list, and only bloggers who request so are on it. I would appreciate it if bloggers would link to this post.
I think a microblogger uses Twitter, which is a way of sending short messages to a group of friends. Leora is the expert.
Leora is the expert.
I caught that! I'm the expert? I've been using Twitter for about two weeks! I think you are just getting back at me for calling you a *star*.
Never heard of the term "microblogger" before (so how could I possibly be an expert?)
me too, i'm going....albeit virtually since i couldn't swing the airfare. yay!
twitter is a short status update or message to another twitter user (called tweeter) that is 140 characters or less. The reason it is called microblogging is b/c i am sharing w/ the world my thoughts/feelings in short increments unlike the blog where i have as much room to write about the same topic and my audience on twitter are those that chose to follow my stream of messages.
I follow people in Israel and all over the world and same goes with those that follow my tweets.
Would this be a good place to ask if anyone's interested in carpooling to the NBN event, from the Kfar Saba/Petach Tikva area? I really don't know my way around Jerusalem...
(if there's another discussion/board that this question should be posted on, please let me know - thanks!)
Rachel: I could give you directions from the Kfar Sava area if you wish.
@Jameel I actually will be in the galut - suffering as I always do. Jerusalemite representation will be my colleague Ben.
Harry - well, make sure to drop an email when you get back.
I hosted a HH one time and would love to do it again. As for speaking- they just put me up there without even asking me- I was shocked- and its not really speaking, they want me to do stand-up which I am not sure I want to do really.
By the looks of things it looks more like a blogger party then a convention- which to me sounds like a huge event- while this is more of a small gathering.
Mystical Paths is attending as well.
FrumSatire, if you can talk about kiddush the way you write about kiddush, you will be hilarious. My Israeli cousin loved telling his kids about how in America we have kiddush every Shabbat. He thought it sounded wonderful. And our American Israeli friends tell us they miss having kiddush each week, they want to institute it in their community (of course, someone has to pay, but that's just a detail). Good luck!
Just remember it is not a real party without Jameel's waffles.
Stephen and the organizing crew - don't let any complaints get you down. As last years organizer of the JIB Awards, I can say with certainly there will be a small but very noisy group of complainers, who will complain about every little thing they can - who, why, what, when, why not, not inclusive, didn't contact, didn't advertise, not fair not fair not fair.
Yet when the event occurs, you'll find a rousing audience of praise and thanks for the effort - and all the complaints will be forgotten.
Go forward, be strong, and don't let the kvetchers get you down. After all, ANYONE could have organized such an event, but you DID. Yasher Koach.
If there is anybody out there still following the discussion:
a) I was pleasantly surprised to be invited to the panel and did not ask what qualified me. I have been too long in the business to question the reasoning or motivation of those who select. It's their privilege.
b) that said, I am not sure exactly what numbers mean. I am sure there are blogs, like mine, that have very few "comments" left but have numbers whereas there are others who have a lot of comments. That could mean a fairly closed group talking among themselves (I, for example, rarely respond to comments while I know of others that respond almost to every comment left). While that is an important element of blogging, the "influence" of a blog may not only be in numbers but in content value.
c) as has been pointed out, this is a first conference. We should live and be well for the second conference, learn from each other (from their mistakes and their successes) and strengthen the role of Jewish blogging for the people of Israel, the land of Israel and the Torah of Israel (note: not since 1964 was I a member of a Mizrachi so there's nothing political in that).
Of course, it would be interesting to review this list that was composed a few years ago to the present participants taking into consideration that not all those originally invited could come and try to figure out why people think certain blogs are slightly more important than others: http://drewkaplans.blogspot.com/...ow-
listing.html
An interesting aspect would be to review this list of preferred bloggers from a few years back, again, probably subjective, and attempt to understand how difficult it is to pick, taking nto consideration that not everybody asked could come or wanted to participate.
http://drewkaplans.blogspot.com/...ow-
listing.html
I'll be there as well!
Yeah - well, I wasn't on Hirhurim's blogroll back then, and I'm still not today.
I like Gil anyway
I'm going too!
What's a doubletapper?
http://doubletapper.blogspot.com/
Is he for real?
jblogger: a doubletapper is someone who can fire a weapon -- in which 2 consecutive bullets go through the same hole on a target.
yes, he is for real.
What more criticism? Go here
Want real nasty criticism? Go here http://myrightword.blogspot.com/...ticised-
in.html
Jameel- are u sure DoubleTapper is real? He looks like an action figure!
Action Figure? Is that a compliment? I can't decide.
You'll be able to see for yourself just how real I am at the convention next week.
Does anyone know how many other bloggers (besides those listed in this thread) will be there?
DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on Guns Politics Defense from Israel
(Just wanted to let you know that I'll be there tomorrow. See you then!)
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