Very final countdown to Science Online 09

I should be putting something together for the actual sessions I am notionally involved in helping running but this being a very interactive meeting perhaps it is better to leave things to very last minute. Currently I am at a hotel at LAX awaiting an early flight tomorrow morning. Daily temperatures in the LA area have been running around 25-30 C for the past few days but we’ve been threatened with the potential for well below zero in Chapel Hill. Nonetheless the programme and the people will more than make up for it I have no doubt. I got to participate in a bit of the meeting last year via streaming video and that was pretty good but a little limited – not least because I couldn’t really afford to stay up all night unlike some people who were far more dedicated.

This year I am involved in three sessions (one on Blog Networks, one on Open Notebook Science, and one on Social Networks for Scientists – yes those three are back to back…) and we will be aiming to be video casting, live blogging, posting slides, images, and comments; the whole deal. If you’ve got opinions then leave them at the various wiki pages (via the programme) or bring them along to the sessions. We are definitely looking for lively discussion. Two of these are being organised with the inimitable Deepak Singh who I am very much looking forward to finally meeting in person – along with many others I feel I know quite well but have never met – and others I have met and look forward to catching up with including Jean-Claude who has instigated the Open Notebook session.

With luck I will get to the dinner tomorrow night so hope to see some people there. Otherwise I hope to see many in person or online over the weekend. Thanks for Bora and Anton and David for superb organisation (and not a little pestering to make sure I decided to come!)