Some Background Info

Being as I blog every day, and read other blogs daily, it's easy to lose perspective on the blog world. The reality is that most folks don't quite know what a blog actually is or what they do. When it comes to the Gun Blogger Rendezvous, an understanding of blogging and the "Gun-Blogosphere" is essential to understand what the Rendezvous is all about. Here's a quick run-down and a few definitions to get everyone up to speed:

BLOG: The name is a shortened up word that originally was WEBLOG. A blog is an internet web page, and is viewed by using the same web browser, like Internet Explorer or Firefox, that you use to view any other web page. Where most web pages don't change too much on a day to day basis, blogs are often updated with new articles, called POSTS, on a daily basis.

Blogs usually have one or more themes, the topics that the blog author (BLOGGER) writes about on a regular basis. Blogs are also interactive. Blog posts usually have a COMMENTS section following each post. Blog viewers can contribute their thoughts and information on the subject of the post for other readers to see.

For example, a blogger could write a review of a particular product, and mention that the product had a problem and some function didn't work properly. A reader could respond that he also had one of the products, and found a simple solution to fix the problem.

Bloggers often use a "Pen Name" rather than using their real name, but not always.

A group of blogs with common or at least overlapping areas of interest is called a COMMUNITY. There are blog communities for cats, humor , politics, recipes and a lot more.

The Gun Blogger community is made up of well over one hundered different bloggers from across the United States, Canada, and around the world, all interested in, and blogging about shooting sports, guns, competitions, firearms safety and education, and laws and regulations concerning firearms ownership and use. Most of the gun Bloggers read each other's blogs on a regular basis, and often exchange information on topics of shared interest. Every so often gun bloggers in a local area will get together to head out to the shooting range, visit, and generally have a fun outing.

Most of the gun bloggers "know" each other through their blogs, and through email communications, but have never met in person. That's why the first annual Gun Blogger Rendezvous is going to be held in early October. It will be a chance to meet other bloggers, perhaps get out to a local range for a little shooting, and honor someone deserving of recognition, as our Guest of Honor.

The Rendezvous will not be attended just by gun bloggers. It will be open to anyone with an interest in shooting sports. Shooting organizations, gun manufacturers, accessory manufacturers, any one with an interest is welcome to attend.

If you are a manufacturer or a shooting sports related business, how should you think about the Rendezvous if you are thinking about participating, either as a donor sponsor, attendee, or both?

As an analogy, this of a large international media organization with tens of millions of readers every year, and over one hundred "Branch Offices", each with it's own publication. Imagine that each "Branch Office" has complete editorial control over it's particular publication. Now imagine that forty or fifty of those branch office editors will all be gathered at one place where you can meet them one on one, hang out, have dinner, talk guns, maybe go shooting, and in general get to know these editors on a first name basis. That's the opportunity that the Gun Blogger Rendezvous can provide to you and your business.

Not to mention, of course, that it'll be a lot of fun, and you can write it off!!

What a country......................