ScienceOnline2010 this week: the BlogTogether spirit

Jan 11, 2010

My friend Bora Zivkovic quite nicely explains the genesis and development of our little conference, which happens for the fourth time this week in ScienceOnline2010. This will be our biggest and best BlogTogether collaboration yet, and I’m excited about the possibilities of putting 275 people together to discuss science communication, education and engagement.

ScienceOnline2010 is a labor of love for me (once it’s done, of course, I need to focus on my love’s impending labor — we’re expecting a son in May!), and I volunteer so many hours of my life to it because of the conversations and friendships and collaborations it engenders.

All of my BlogTogether activities, in fact, have been rooted in the idea that building community online must have a face-to-face component (I wrote about this here, an essay that starts with a reference to my just-departed grandfather).

So, this week, I’ll be listening and looking as these conversations happen, and I’ll be hoping that that BlogTogether seed takes root in those conversations. To our conference attendees, I wish you wonderful exploration of science on the Web, and, most importantly, of the faces and personalities and experiences of the people you will be meeting.

Anton Zuiker ☄