The Day The Blogosphere Stood Still
August 1, 2011 
39 Comments
On the 25th Of July 2011 something special took place around the web. Bloggers and online entrepreneurs came together to shut down the market place for one day and share a little bit about who they are. And share they did. The response to both this call to action and to each other; was simply amazing.
People put business, marketing and agenda aside; and shared with an honesty, depth and courage I really did not expect.
So I asked Dino (who was brave enough to host my mad cap idea over on his blog) how well he thought the day went, his response went like this:
So, I would declare it a moderate success. I think what we do from now is important. This could turn into a movement 
Firstly, although I can see the perspective from which he made this response, I’d have to respectfully – DISAGREE!!!
From where I’m standing…
Whilst it may not have reached the numbers my vision set out to, those it did reach and whom the idea did resonate with; contributed with such gusto and enthusiasm that I felt the energy multiplied to the power of 10.
It was like any good party….
Not in the slightest bit about those who didn’t turn up, but ONLY about those who did!
If my cruise around the blogs that took part in #NicheAmnesty is anything to go by, the party was going off and people where having a damn good time – for days might I add. People where still getting involved in #NicheAmnesty as late as July 28th!
#NicheAmnesty far from sucked, we totally rocked it and I think we all succeeded tremendously in co-hosting this shindig. If you agree, please show your agreement by retweeting this post and your own post to your followers.
The shared stories/experiences and level of openness I saw in the banter people were having in the comments; was truly heart warming and enlightening. It also demonstrated to me the level of humanity and interest in others there is amongst us bloggers.
Some may call bloggers narcissistic, but I saw a lot of humility going on and #NicheAmnesty proved to me once and for all; that bloggers and online entrepreneurs really are a caring, diverse and dynamic bunch, and yes, “Online friends do matter”, but it’s down to you just how much.
I want to say a massive Thank You for all of who showed up to the party bearing gifts. The gifts of : truth, integrity and friendship. Without YOU #NicheAmnesty would have gone down like a ‘big oak tree in an empty forest’!
I’d like to share my 10 favourite posts (in no particular order) and encourage all those who took part to share a link to their post in the comments section here, so that we can all have a chance to get round to any we may have missed.
The calls to keep the momentum of #NicheAmnesty flowing have not fallen on deaf ears either, so keep reading to see how I intend to keep the buzz and community we created during this day going.
I hope you’ll come and be part of this new platform to keep the spirit of #NicheAmnesty, very much alive!
Without any more of my Jibber Jabber, here are my 10 favourite contributions:
Amber Lee-Dibble : This hard working, horse back riding wife, mother and all round dynamo, has been living in the badlands of Alaska for 19 years and wears pinks chaps. Need I say more! Amber appeared on my radar fairly recently but I’ve come to really enjoy her presence, she’s a character in the best possible way. This was an all round great read.
Erica Allison: The picture she shared of herself with her children warmed my heart and as you will see; it touched others. There was something so incredibly tender about this picture that it’s stuck in my mind to this day. Erica might be a fierce business women, but she is also one soft hearted mama.
Bonnie Squi: I think it’s fair to say this post had an incredible impact on everyone who read it. Sad, moving, but not in the least bit self-pitying, Bonnie showed us that she is able to triumph above all adversities and that she “has love enough for the whole world”. I had tears in my eyes when I finished reading. Bonnie is an inspiration to me and to us all.
Marianne Worley: Marianne’s Harry Potter references went way over my head as I’ve never seen any of the films, ditto for reading the books. But her tale of what it was like to be bought up and feel like the outsider, and be the ’1/2′ sister to all these full siblings; really struck a cord in me. This was a brave and beautiful share. Marianne rocked it!
Stan Faryna: When I first started blogging and seeing Stan’s comments everywhere, I found him scary, intimidating even. I wasn’t sure what to make of him. Then I realised what I was reacting to was a fierce intelligence and the integrity to say what needs to be said, or what he feels will best benefit you. It was at that stage I began to really appreciate and respect this dynamic man. Now..Stan’s giving away the farm..literally..but you must pay postage and package!
Chrysta Bairre: Chrysta was a late arrival to the party. I was just glad that she came, and come she did; with a beautifully simple but well constructed and delivered post. Heck, she even rides a scooter and as a fellow scooter rider, this endeared her to me instantly.
Elena Patrice: This was one of the first #NicheAmnesty posts that I saw and I loved it. Elena’ lively and engaged response to the questions asked, showed what a total pro she is when working the video medium. The badge bigger than her head, gave me such a chuckle also. Elena then proved the spirit of #NicheAmensty when on discovering my video dramas, she broke a nail (not literally) trying to help me sort my tech problems out. Can I mention she’s also a totally hottie!
Dan Perez: Hmm..a hard call, but I had to include this one. I found Dan’ reluctant share a little arrogant, cheeky or as I described it “A bit like catching a one off episode of Family Guy and thinking WTF”. However by the end, Dan had won me over. I felt the love, respect and admiration for his wife (an incredible woman by anyone’s estimation), overflowing in his words. He reminded me of the deep love I have for my own sister who has overcome such great odds.
Adrienne Smith: I’d heard Adriennes praises ring out across the blogsphere before but had never had much of a chance to interact. This will change as a result of #NicheAmnesty. Adrienne is spunky, funny, full of life, vitality and courage. She knows how to engage and include her readers and when she communicates with you, you can tell it’s from the heart.
Caroyln Nicander Mohr: You could tell Caroyln had a great time at the #NicheAmnesty party. She worked the room, showed us her special flavour and I’m sure made a few new connections whom will go on to become friends in the future. I think Carolyn’s great. She has an infectious energy and that cheery smile that hits you as soon as you enter her online space, is a winner. The fact that she can talk about ‘all things tech’ in such a knowledgeable way; makes her a superwoman in my book.
So that’s it, I wont keep you any longer other than to say – ”If you want to know what’s next for #NicheAmnesty, come over www.mylifestylemax.com right now and find out all about it“.
Other wise let us know your experience of the day:
- What did you like about #NicheAmnesty
- Name one person you will be keeping in contact with as a result of #NicheAmnesty
- What was your favourite #NicheAmnesty post
