A good friend just joined an organization and said he would be at a data center conference that I don’t go to anymore. He said he would try to get me a pass to attend. We chatted yesterday and he said everything looked OK, until he got to an individual in the organization and said I was not on the list as media/analyst who can attend their conference. “Yes, I am blacklisted for a conference.” My friend apologized, I told him no it is OK. Thanks for trying. I know I have probably wrote things that aren’t popular with the conference people who I don’t know and don’t talk to.

I could name the specific conference, but most of you know which one, and at some point I am sure I’ll get on the blacklist for another conference. If you aren’t willing to write what you think, and upset someone are you just a slave to the will of the conference people. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

The Declaration provides for freedom of expression in Article 11, which states that:

"The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law."^[5]

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, states that:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."^[6]

One of my friends was nice enough to send this comment when I said I was blacklisted from a data center conference.

WOW!!!

Congratulations - you know you've made it when you are getting blacklisted from blogging about industry conferences :-)