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From: Andy Pratt A provocative comment about international conferences of critical human grographers: let's not have them ! There is a twist of irony in the way that the first proper debate to have emerged from the forum (since I came on line) is about the cost-time of international conference attendance. Irony in that this is a very traditional geography issue !; and, that its about our (elite) personal mobility. The contradictions of a wired group who want to all meet up in one place is an interesting one. I am currently doing some research on people involved in the development of multimedia applications - another wired group - they are very localised, they too value face time and value physical proximity. (but, they don't claim radical credentials). Is face time anti-democratic ! ? Let me try to expand; its about the exercise of power. Space-time compression, and virtual communities: they have their limits, or rather they are articulated in very particular ways via their social relations. Perhaps a significant division that is emerging in the digital world is very familiar - between those condemned to virtual presence, and those that are able to arrange 'real' presence. Anyone for a politics of presence and absence in the on/off-line world ? Democratic accountability does not reside in the internet / technology, it is about the ways that we practice our social relationships, and, how we involve the internet in them.Isn't it interesting that for all of the talk and possibilities of virtual communities, and their undoubted access possibilities (access, that is, to those already on line: even among those nominally online the gender profile of use is characteristically skewed - so here's another issue), that there is a desire to revert to a single site restricted access meeting? This is what we already have; we have been practising it for years. I would have thought that the opportunity to break from this would be welcomed. Is there a conceptual failing here; is it a political failing ? I agree with Steve Pile as regards the posting of papers, although he seems to imply a simulation of the real conference. Real conferences are nice (when you're in the in-group); and Vancouver is a lovely place to be. But, by having such a conference you must exclude others: you create a position of power and prestige (of course, I know all our actions do this in some way; the point is to be conscious of the fact and try to minimize the adverse effects). Why don't we take the really radical step of not having world conferences: we can be far more accessible and accountable by doing it all on-line. There is no reason why one couldn't arrange for all the papers to be collected at one site (just as session conveners do already) and all posted on one day, all 'attendees' (users of the forum) could read and download, reflect and comment (even have their own local debates): there could follow a period of discussion on particular themes (over a few weeks, say), maybe a set of counter papers could be arranged for a few weeks following. In this way maximum accessibility and interaction is created. There is a loss, of social interaction and sightseeing, or a radical expedition, for a few. Why not try to maximise the collective gain rather than that of the elite group ? Now, I wouldn't want to suggest that life does not/ should not exist outside the (email) text. I would not want to deny the import of physical / social (real time, face to face etc), however, it is suited to particular contexts, it is not a universal. The interactive vibrancy of the forum can surely be developed locally. Its an encouragement to actually interact, to make new relationships, and of course it is more likely to be grounded in local action. Reports from local meetings, individuals etc. can and should be articulated with the 'global' (whatever that is). This seems to be a more democratic mode of interaction in this particular context within the aims and objectives of this forum. [log in to unmask] Geography London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE UK %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%