[conf] Microsoft's Research Group's Social Computing Symposium
We were invited to attend the Microsoft Corporation's Research Group's Social Computing Symposium in Redmond, an invite-only event with around 80 or so folks from the for-profit, academic, and online world. There is an amazing collection of people here who have accomplished tremendous things in the online world over the past 20 years. It was great to meet a number of fellow MacArthur grantees whom I only know from MacArthur's Spotlight blog and exciting (intimidating?) to meet so many heroes from the field. For example, at lunch I had someone who made my favorite EPCOT rides on one side and on the other the fellow who created the Beast, the first ARP game back in 2000 that, more than anything else, indoctrinated me to the world of social computing.
Of most interest were the presentations - a combination of academic studies, web 2.0 product demos or reviews, and musings about the present and future of social computing. Presentations were short and, at the end of each day, we voted for those we most want to give back-to-back five minute "lightening round" presentations created on the spot. Very effective process.
One excellent source of notes on the event can be found at the blog of the Shifted Librarian as well as the flickr photos.
