Australian Blogging Conference

Over the past decade, the internet has democratised publishing, transforming the way in which society communicates and researches. Once web page creation required a sophisticated knowledge of HTML, but user friendly tools now make it possible for anyone to create a web page. The easiest and most common web page to create is a blog, (or a weblog). These blogs take the form of an online journal or diary and can cover any topic – from the life of a high school student to complex political analysis and debate. With the proliferation of blogs over the last two years, their authors have had a significant influence on popular culture, scholarship, journalism and politics.

The growth of the Australian blogging community has mirrored the expansion of the blogosphere elsewhere in the developed world. However, there have been only a few opportunities afforded to Australian bloggers to get together and discuss their common interest. This unconference, modelled on the successful BloggerCons in the United States, aims to redress this by providing a forum that will allow Australian bloggers to gather together and talk about blogging and the Australian blogosphere. It aims to be a user-focused conference for the Australian blogging community.

This will not be a conference in the traditional sense. It will be relatively informal. Instead of lengthy presentations, people will be invited lead discussions on various topics throughout the day – some practical, such as how to build a better blog, and some theoretical on the role, influence and future of blogs.

It is hoped that this Australian Blogging Conference will be a memorable event where all participants will learn more about the social, cultural, creative and technological aspects of blogging from one another.

The Australian Blogging Conference will be hosted by the Legal and Regulatory Program of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation and the Queensland University of Technology on Friday 28 September in Brisbane, Australia.