When I go to events that mix the Internet and politics, whether it's Rootscamp or Netroots Nation or our own Personal Democracy Forum, I often seem to know quite a bit of the crowd -- just by virtue of having worked in this space for a handful of years now. Sometimes it seems like I can hardly walk down the hall without bumping into people I know, writers whose blogs I have in my feed reader, and activists I've worked with at one time or another. At events like those, the world of online politics often seems very small and downright inbred at times.

In a way, that insularity's excellent, because it makes it into a very supportive world. That interconnectedness can be fruitful, and it also makes it a fun social scene -- and happy warriors make good warriors.

Things are different here at the Democratic National Convention. In both the blogger area of the Big Tent and the Pepsi Center Blogger Lounge, I often hardly seem to know more a few people. It takes a good measure longer than normal to scan the room and find a familiar face. You're crying for me, I know. But I'm not at all complaining. That diversity could prove to be enormously healthy. There's a great deal of new blood here, and a great representation of bloggers from states outside the hubs of DC and New York. And it's exciting to think about what the bloggers in this expansive crowd are learning from one another this week. Today in the Big Tent, for example, had an excellent conversation with a blogger for a local Colorado blog that I probably wouldn't have had had I been sitting with my tried and true crew of folks I already know.