Via Dave Winer

“BlogHer‘s goal is helping women bloggers identify, reach and grow the audience they seek by raising their visibility and searchability. Once women bloggers build relationships with each other — online and in person –- it will be easier for Web users to find more quality, relevant bloggers.”

Right on my sistas! [Anna you going to this?] It's not only open to women. Men are welcome to attend this conference as well. If there is ever a East coast version, please let me know.

Via International Journalist's Network

Online voting is now open in an international competition to honor the best blogs that defend freedom of expression.

Paris-based press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is organizing the competition, in cooperation with the Deutsche Welle news agency. The aim is to recognize bloggers in various parts of the world who often put themselves in danger by defending free expression.

Anyone can vote once in each of six categories: Africa and the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, Europe, Iran, and International.

Iran, as the only country that has its own category in the contest, has been a difficult place for those speaking out on the Internet. The Islamic state has sought to restrict Weblogs even as they have grown in popularity and influence. Authorities there routinely arrest and imprison bloggers who openly defend the right to speak freely. Recently, RSF reported that authorities arrested one blogger’s pregnant wife after she publicly defended her husband for promoting free speech.

To vote for a blog, visit the following website.

If you have been following along, you know why I dragged my feet to post these pictures from the desi blogger's meetup in Manhattan on April 2. So, here they are, in no particular order. It's quite likely I have missed a few people who were there. Believe me, it's not an intentional omission.

After puttzing around with my digital camera, I have decided it needs to be retired. It's an old cantankerous beast that is wholly unreliable; good only to grab a few passing shots for an eBay auction or two. The images I shot at the gathering were on a compact flash card and it was corrupt. I simply couldn't retrieve anything. I had even told Turbanhead that my attempts to download the images were futile. But thanks to Garrett, photographer and all-round Mac geek, I was able to use a program called PhotoRescue to get something out of nothing.

Someone asked me what I thought of the gathering. It was a lot of fun finally meeting people whose websites I have read and enjoyed a great deal. We'll just have to try and do this again. The food at the restaurant was good, though the manager there threw a bit of a hissyfit when some seats went unfilled. I suspect the rain (oh, do I know about that rain now) was a deterrent to some who couldn't make it. I scanned some of the other sites but I didn't see a whole lot of bandwidth on this meetup. So, do feel free to comment here.

UPDATE: P. Kerim Friedman has his own slick Flickr-based album of the desi gathering.

One final note to all – thanks for coming!

So, as day becomes night and night becomes day tomorrow, I'll be on a train from New Haven barreling towards Grand Central Station. Why? For the desi bloggers meetup in Manhattan of course. I am calling it Manhattan Masala, but I am sure we'll come up with something more elegant over the course of a meal and few drinks.

The venue is Bay Leaf. The time, 1.30 p.m. So far 26 of you have RSVP'd on time (deadline was March 31). Those who are emailing me today – sorry, we would love to accommodate you next year (or sooner). Space at the restaurant is really tight and we have only till 3 p.m. to meet, greet and eat.

The weather is set to be wet, so wear a poncho, carry an umbrella, do a rain dance or whatever catches your fancy. Rain or shine, we are going to be there.

As I said, the first two bloggers to get there receive a copy of Pooja Makhijani's book, Under Her Skin.

To see who is coming, you will have to surf to my site – Tiffinbox – and look in the right column under Manhattan Masala for the names of bloggers and the number of guests they are bringing. I am looking forward to putting faces to URLs. [Thanks JD!]

Via Sean Hintz – Photo Editor, ESPN.com

Do you love sports? Do you work well under tight deadlines and pressure packed situations? As Associate Photo editor, you’ll work with the Photo Imaging Group and the editorial staff to publish the most compelling images onto the internet’s most trafficked sports website. We’ll need you to have an eye for color, and photo layout, as well as have thorough knowledge of photo editing and production software. You’ll need to be able to take direction while adding your own flavor. You’ll be expected to work nights, weekends, and some holidays. The Assistant Photo Editor must be willing and able to communicate clearly with outside sources of photos, including freelancers, wire services, as well as public and private institutions.
 
Job Requirements: BA or BFA in Digital Art, newsroom experience, expert sports knowledge (current and historical)

Specific Skills – Expert knowledge of PhotoShop, Illustrator or Freehand and other related imaging software
?- Thorough grasp of digital imagery, and it’s preparation for web publishing.
– Strong Communication skills.
– Working understanding of FTP?- Ability to multi-task and work on several projects at once

Title: Assistant Photo Editor, ESPN.com?Department: ESPN.com?Location: Bristol, Connecticut
Hours: 30/week
Shift: Nights/Weekends

Please understand that there are no relocation expenses nor health benefits attached to this position. However, for those who are recent graduates, this is a great foot-in-the-door opportunity to get into an exciting world of sports news broadcasting, though there are no guarantees it will convert into a full-time position.

Interested? Please contact Sean Hintz at:
sean.m.hintz[at]espn3[dot]com with your resume/CV and your questions.

Good luck!