Back in the usenet days it was said that 99% of users were readers and 1% were writers. The same is true for the web.
That is, I think "dark matter" developers read blogs but they just don't write them.
As for conferences, these are widely seen as a scam. I remember sitting through a presentation at the end of a conference by the platinum sponsor where I sat next to some tired defense contractors from the East Coast and then drinking in the hotel bar later with the director of marketing for the sponsor who thought that he hadn't gotten what he paid for.
That is, I think "dark matter" developers read blogs but they just don't write them.
As for conferences, these are widely seen as a scam. I remember sitting through a presentation at the end of a conference by the platinum sponsor where I sat next to some tired defense contractors from the East Coast and then drinking in the hotel bar later with the director of marketing for the sponsor who thought that he hadn't gotten what he paid for.