I'm on the scene at the Democratic National Convention that just kicked off today in Denver. All week, I'll be both blogging from the quadrennial party gathering and pulling together a digest pointing to the reaction to the event around the web. -- Nancy

The Web on the Candidates

• Go Inside the Big Tent: I broke out my brand new Nokia 95 this morning to take our techPresident readers on a Qik-enabled tour of the Big Tent, the gathering spot for bloggers, activists, and new-media types that the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, Progress Now, and Daily Kos erected just blocks from the Pepsi Center. The Big Tent has been hopping all day. Take a look at the video and have yourself a gander of the Google Retreat (with a Google-rainbow inspired smoothie bar), the blogger workspace, the Chipotle burrito bar, the Digg Stage, and more. If you look closely, you may well spot a big name blogger or two. #

• Boycotting the Games Convention: I might be in Denver this week, but PdF editor Micah Sifry is sitting out both the DNC and Republican National Convention taking place in Minneapolis/St. Paul next week. Micah explains why conventions are sometimes like pro football games -- you might have a better view from at home than you do in the stadium. Micah: "When I say I'm interested in 'watching the web watch the convention,' what I think I mean is I want to see how the world live web works during an event of this magnitude. And by NOT going and being in the center of the storm and instead watching and participating from a distance, I am betting that it may be easier to see some of the larger patterns at work." #

• Big Money, Party Politics, and the Lanyard Wars: As Politico's Ben Smith reports, corporate sponsorship abounds here in Denver, despite the party's embrace of a fairly populist message of late. My own press pass lanyard and sleeve was, as their prominent branding indicated, brought to me by Qwest. But have no fear, those of you who disdain our corporate overlords! Reps from Democracy for America were circulating in the Big Tent today to provide replacement lanyards. Out went Qwest and in came lanyards reading "Thank You Howard," a grateful nod to DNC chairman Howard Dean. #

• Gear Heads: Wired's Sarah Lai Stirland reports on all the gadgetry in evidence here in Denver. But if you're a blogger working from the Big Tent, there's one thing that Sarah left off her list that you might be wishing you packed -- a personal generator. The battery cells that are providing the juice for the festivities here are running low, forcing bloggers to scatter to alternate locations or actually engage with one another. #

• Maximum Exposure: The Huffington Post wants your photos from not only on the ground in Denver but from anywhere on the planet that you're participating in some fashion in DNC #08. #

In Case You Missed It...

Steve Garfield takes note of how his Twitter stream is bursting with #dnc08 tweets from folks vying for his attention.

Team Obama missed an opportunity in not writing out the big VP text message in Obama's voice, says David All. David: "Barack didn't text me anything. The Machine did." And Patrick Ruffini picks apart the timing of the SMS "announcement," saying "what seemed like a brilliant exercise in media management devolved into a late night rearguard maneuver."

Self-promotion alert: I'll be serving as techPresident's correspondent on BBC Radio's Radio Five Live show at 6:45 p.m. Colorado time today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Tune in to hear me discuss how the blogs are reacting to the Dem convention.

Democratic Convention
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