Is "The Blog" worth saving?

Blog for America

BFA... The Blog... The Big Bad Blog...

What purpose does it serve? Was it only for "cheerleading" during the campaign (as it was recently described)? Was it really a community or just a communication tool that has outlived its usefulness to DFA?

Dean for America provided us with a simple tool. We were given the ability to type simple text that instantly appeared in the public arena. Although we couldn't add graphics or color or even bold print, we learned how to SHOUT when necessary, and some clever bloggers even learned to draw pictures in ASCII. It took a while, but we eventually learned how to display hearts ♥ and Hebrew and other simple symbols in this otherwise bland-looking space. And, because DFA gave us the ability to link to email and other sites on the web, it opened us to the wonders of the "internets."

So, what were we able to accomplish with this cacophony of words? I thought a small stroll down memory lane might be in order...

Without the Crushies, would Dean himself have replaced the lost whale tie that he often wears during his TV appearances? And what a flat campaign it might have been without the humor and music and song! Are you part of the community that formed the Blog Family bios? Is your special day in the calendar? How many of you returned to this energetic presentation of Howard Dean's "What I Want To Know" Speech to reinvigorate you when things got tough, or perhaps turned to quieter pursuits like the Dean Crossword Puzzle, whose page still displays a blinkie? Does your collection of Dean gear include anything from the Unofficial DFA Button Collection? Do you remember the advice on how to winterize a Dean sign (PDF file)? Did you spend extra time and money on the blog whenever a bat appeared, perhaps even taking part in contests and challenges to get that money raised? Or did you wait to hit the bat when you just couldn't resist playing with a troll? When Dean's words were distorted by the media, did you print and distribute flyers to try to balance the message? Did you dream of a Dean Blimp or take a special logo with you to Iowa? Perhaps you were a Grassroots Mom or a member of Punx for Dean? Did you imagine Dean as the Lord of the Roots? Did you help new bloggers get oriented, or perhaps tuck bloggers in at night? Did you link other bloggers to political cartoons and news articles? When Dean was attacked by a silly ad in Iowa, did you create your own ad to set the record straight? What resources did you offer to the blog? Did you join in a book club discussion or meet online to talk about one of Dean's appearances? Were you in on the planning of DeanFest (Yes, I know that's not the official name.) Was the blog important to you?

But, what have you done for me lately?

Is "the Blog" still useful for Democracy for America? After all, the Dean campaign is over. I thought this thread might be a good place to discuss what the blog has done and can still do for DFA.

I'll start by remembering that the blog was the place where we coordinated getting the domain names reserved for the various state organizations' websites, after it became evident that HQ wasn't doing so.

Your turn...