Comments on: Live-Tweeting and the Academic Conference

By: Kelli Marshall

Kelli Marshall — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:42:45 +0000

I hope to see you there too!

PS. I’m now the chair of the Shakespeare on Film, Television, and Video area; hope you’ll submit something! http://www.kellimarshall.net/CFP_Shak_SWTX_PCAACA.pdf

By: Kelli Marshall

Kelli Marshall — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:37:54 +0000

Hi — no, I wouldn’t say that most of us use laptops during a conference presentation, but a few do. Many use mobile phones…

By: Gabrielle Malcolm

Gabrielle Malcolm — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:13:12 +0000

This is really interesting Kelli. I hope to be at the 2011 PCA/ACA – be great to join to the Twitter stream whilst I am there.
best
Gaby

By: Kelli Marshall

Kelli Marshall — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:04:56 +0000

Hi, Ben — thanks for commenting! I agree with you — to an extent, I suppose. What I mean is might the distraction(s) or inability to connect with others sometimes come down to the size of the room, the number of audience members, and where the “laptop/notebook Twitterers” are seated?

By: Ben Aslinger

Ben Aslinger — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:16:53 +0000

Kelli,
Thanks for the post. After being at a range of conferences with a lively Twitter backchannel, I think that it’s less invasive (and more productive) when people tweet via handheld devices. Not to be technologically deterministic here, but I find that it’s harder to connect with a room full of people hiding behind laptop screens. It’s harder for the speaker to connect with the audience and/or even make eye contact when the gaze is directed at the 15” or 17” screen. Based on personal experience, I find my tweeting via handheld to be more purposeful and selective, and while that’s obviously not true for everyone, I wonder how specific technologies shape (and will shape) conference cultures of listening and intellectual exchange.
Best,
Ben.