#LingComm21 has been an amazing conference so far, and while everyone has been sharing screenshots of the amazing digital space the organisation team has created for us, I also want to reflect on why this works so well for me and how our next online conferences can look like https://twitter.com/LingComm/status/1385026258564755456

So, being a little avatar is a LOT OF FUN
Beyond that (suuuper important!), some strengths of Gather, the conference platform, are:
1) it gives you a sense of space, as you have to move from room to room, and end up bumping into people
2) it fosters random interactions

Wonder works about the same way but a BIG difference is that it relegates informal discussions to AFTER the talks (which usually take place on Zoom or BBB), which gives the impression that small talk is separated from “the real content”.

This division is, in my sense, what makes networking a bit awkward and exhausting, as it usually takes place at the end of the day, when you don't really feel like staring at a screen anymore. With Gather, it happens DURING the conference.

For instance, during the plenaries, you sit at a table with other people, and you see only them (so, not 120 faces a the same time) and can engage in informal discussions right before it begins, or even overlapping with the plenary if you want to.

Apart from the online format, another very important aspect is he LENGTH of the conference: #LingComm21 runs only four (yes, 4) hours a day over four days, thus making it possible to integrate it into your workday without being completely exhausted. Sessions are SHORT (45 min!).

#LingComm21 fosters small groups discussions in the format of fishbowls, a decentralised way to invite ppl to join a discussion, thus breaking the barriers panelists vs audience, which not only gives the attendees a chance to share but also the invited speakers a chance to rest.

There is much more to it (for instance, the fact that most talks are captioned or the collaborative documents where everyone can ask questions and suggest new workshops for the last day), but one thing I really gained from #LingComm21 is FINALLY feeling how talks & small talks...

... can happen in a continuum in digital spaces as well, instead of being (quite arbitrarily, I believe) seen at two ends of the spectrum (which is often marked by the use of different platforms). To more #LingComm21