Are you a blogger, a former recovering blogger – or just blog-curious? Do you live in the London area or plan to be in town for the Science Online conference? Would you like the chance to meet up with your fellow addicts for a wee libation or three on Friday the 21st of August?
I’m organizing an informal evening get-together for bloggers (and interested hangers-on) on 21st August. From 7 PM, we will invade the Royal Institution’s hallowed (and alarmingly pink) café/bar area and make some noise. My spies inform me that a number of bloggers are up for this, so we expect a good turnout. For those of you taking the guided tour with Matt Brown, he has kindly volunteered to herd any willing victims along to the venue – provided he doesn’t lose you down some crevasse. If there is enough interest and people, we might even take a stab at an ad hoc Fringe-Frivolous Unconference, as the topic of blogging itself isn’t much on the SoLo agenda this year, and not everyone could make the North Carolina conference. But at the very least, we will have a chance to socialize, drink, and otherwise be frivolous — and I’ll organize a few flip charts just in case.
And if we’re very, very lucky, it won’t degenerate into karaoke.
Please register interest on the comments thread – both about attending, and about whether you’d be up for an impromptu meta-blog Unconference. And please do spread the word!
Yes! to both!
Yes and Yes! But please no karaoke.
Sounds lovely. Great idea Jennifer!
Martin, you obviously haven’t heard Matt Brown’s dulcet tones.
Indeed!
I’m
randomlyreliably informed that M@ likes nothing better than to perform his own version of this track in karaoke bars, near and far.:(
miss everything. Always.
Stupid visa, stupid empty bank account, stupid lack of vacation days.
Bad workmen, &c.
Yes, yes, and, most especially, yes.
\o/
Yes, please! Brilliant idea Jenny, thank you for organizing this.
Just to note that I’ve received about a dozen emails signifying interest in the night so far, so we will definitely have a good turnout. I wonder if it’s worth drawing up a shortlist of prospective topics? We actually have two separate spaces (bar and café) so we could even divide up if folks were indecisive.
On the other hand, spontaneity is also good.
Why don’t we/you plan to have a couple of pre-defined topics, and then a couple which are decided on the night? Like, um, the unconference?
Bugger.
Good idea, Richard. Feel free to fire ideas at me. If I was really organized I’d set up a forum somewhere…
heh.
Hey, see that? I had a ‘good idea’!
Here’s another one…
weyou can create an NN forum, shirley?Don’t call me Shirley.
As it happens, one of the best (and least-known) karaoke bars in London is almost opposite the Royal Institution (it’s so secret, even the RI staff don’t know about it). However, late-night singing the evening before a conference is not a good idea.
You just can’t help yourself, can you, Matt?
Sounds perfect!… Ja und Ja to both!… even to the karaoke experience…
I’ll be part of Matt’s herd, so I won’t have a chance to get lost (hopefully!).
I would go for something more spontaneous
but that’s is just my latino style… if you want to have some defined topics and a more organized gathering sounds great too.;-D
Thanks for organizing this, Jennifer…
I think a compromise would be good – assemble a few rough ideas, which can be refined and voted on when everyone arrives.
Umph. In principle I’d love to attend. In practice though I’m rather unlikely to be in London on the 21st and in any case need to be at the Toronto Zoo on the 22nd, which would make the travel tricky (ask me about my 1:00 AM stopover in Newfoundland sometime, go on, I dares ya).
Do have fun, all of you.
I’m sure your zoo will be far more civilized.
‘Civilized’ is overrated.
‘Fraid I’ll be in Sussex so will miss this delightful sounding unkaraoke session. I’ll be thinking of you all as I sample my bro-in-law’s fine wines.
Hmm. How about another change of venue?