Nick says, in hisarticle in the Poetry Project Newsletter:

"I think blogging conversations and interactions allow for many levels of creative exchange and collaboration that may be harder to achieve in the competitive and necessarily restrained atmosphere of live literary events and gatherings. What frequently and naturally wins the day in those situations is conversational facility and a good strong voice. This sometimes leaves women out in an exchange. But in the blogging situation women have a chance to be heard by other women and by men also and there is a great opportunity to write and connect with each other."

I like that a lot.