The Wisconsin Club

Making the rounds of some Wisconsin sites, I came across two posts that started me thinking about the state of the Wisconsin Blogosphere.

Apparently, it includes a rather close-knit community.

Aaron says:

I haven't found another blog community that functions the way we do. There's something special about Wisconsin blogging.

Chris says:

I believe at the moment the Wisconsin Blogosphere community is different than blogging in most of the country. We actually have a community that does not only exist online but in the physical world. We do things together we have picnics and blog summits and Xmas parties. We drink Right and We drink Liberally, we drink at the State Fair, we meet for lunch. We are known to meet to watch a football or baseball game at one another’s house. I do believe you see a bit more of this on the right but having the BBA as our Town square/Town meeting hall makes it easier for us than the people on the other side of the aisle.

We actually know a lot about each other, many of us actually could pick other bloggers out of a line up because we have met them in person usually more than once.

...I have yet to see a blogging community that is as close as Wisconsin's, The NYC bloggers come close but I don’t think they reach the Potluck dinner feeling that Wisconsin blogging has. There always seems to be room at the table for any and all late arriving guests too. Think how many new blogs have joined our community in the last 6 months?

I don't know.

I'm not familiar with the blogging communities of other states. Actually, I don't feel that I'm all that familiar with the blogging community of my own state. (By the way, I'm from Wisconsin.)

It's too big, too diverse to make generalizations that have anything resembling validity.

The Internet connects Wisconsinites with varied interests -- politics, sports, music, schools, etc.

And let's not forget other interests, like illicit drugs, neo-Nazism, and porn, to name just a few.

I'm not familiar with it, but it's certainly possible that the Wisconsin blogosphere has an active red light district.

Who knows? The Wisconsin blogosphere may be even more "special" than some of us have imagined.

I do know from personal experience that online communities can become very close. Participants/friends can seem as real as individuals sitting in the same room.

I think it's great that Wisconsinites have found each other via the Internet and become friends, and socialize in person. It's wonderful that these people have a real sense of community.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not taking a swipe at this group of friends from Wisconsin. To the contrary, I'm highlighting the power that the Internet has to connect people. It's testament to the networking that takes place and the positives that come from it.

The purpose of this post is merely to point out that the Wisconsin blogosphere is a very Big Tent.

So don't feel bad if you haven't been at the picnics.