P4 OpenBOBCATSSS

The purpose of this panel is to discuss the possibility of enhancing the quality and impact of a conference, focusing on the 2008 BOBCATSSS-Symposium. This will be discussed using the ideas of Open Access, Web 2.0 and multimedia, as well as their technical implementations. A conference usually comprises three kinds of intellectual elements: the paper-presentations; the discussions, and the proceedings. They are, in their usual order of appearance limited to the time and space of the conference, and therefore limited to a narrow group of people. This paper discusses ways to connect and provide open access to these intellectual elements, by using the technologies mentioned above. Turning the usual order of appearance upside down, the conference will start with the conference proceedings. Considering their independence of time and space, as well as their prestigious value for the authors, they are the prime intellectual element. That is why the proceedings should always be made freely available on the internet before the conference starts. The paper-presentations, on the other hand are usually limited to a certain session at a conference. They ought to be made accessible on the internet too right after the conference. This can be done by means of multimedia such as picture-, sound- and video-recording. The discussions, the third intellectual element, are usually strongly connected with the paper-presentations. However, they can be connected with the proceedings, when the discussion begins within a virtual community. Providing free access to the virtually connected intellectual elements before, during, and after the conference enhances the quality and impact of a conference. Our suggestions allow a new concept of pre- and post- conference communication and collaboration on an international level. They will expand the conference in time and space and therefore will not only give a wider access to the conferences intellectual elements, but will also give access to those interested in the conference, but unable to make the way.