1. Do I need to be seen “live” by the people there?
2. Do I need to see people who will be there “live”?
3. Do I have questions that I’m having a tough question getting answers to online?

Or perhaps I could simplify these further into one question: “This online thing, how’s it working out for me?”

I agree that we should be making as much use as possible of the online channel; there may, however, be certain things that face-to-face interaction may accomplish more swiftly and effectively. I’m not familiar with research into the relative merits of face-to-face vs computer-mediated interaction, but I’m sure it would be useful to look at.

Virtual conferences do have their place, and I understand that a lot of us do not have the money or time to travel to all of them. That is why I pick the ones I want to attend carefully. BlogWorld Expo is one because of the amount of information I get from both the talks, the networking, and the exhibitors.

Nothing beats a face meeting.

I run an online course, I think out of all the students that have enrolled I have met two of them in the flesh.

All of this is why people ask “if social media is so cool why are you jetting all over the place?”

At no point did I say I or anyone else CAN’T use online tools effectively to grow relationships and connections, what I was saying is I believe that face to face meetings grow deeper relationships faster. You might get more data online about a person but I feel, and call it irrational if you like, a better overall experience meeting face to face.

1. Authority – I find it ironic that you are “using blogs to gather an audience that knows, likes and trusts you” and yet you have to meet face to face in order to find validation.

2. I don’t get why an expert on blogging and social media can’t make the human connection online. The “geeks” should be the ones promoting the community created by social networks. As an online teacher, I found that I knew more about my students than in a face-to-face class. The students gave more information and were more thoughtful about their replies to questions. I would expect an expert to be knowledgeable not just in software and tools, but in techniques for making the experience online a human one.

3. There are people who I know almost entirely from email and social networks that I feel that I have gained a lot of knowledge from – I am thinking here for instance of George Siemen’s online class Connectivism and Connective Knowledge. I have made valuable friends through that class that I continue to work with.

4. & 5. I worked with state elearning people whose only reason for meeting face-to-face was that it was their “vacation” time. While I can fully appreciate the need for a vacation, it is unconscionable while classes are being cut, faculty and staff are being laid off, and basic infrastructure is being lost that admins and faculty insist on meeting face-to-face; never mind the carbon footprint issues.

In short, I think face-to-face has its value, I will probably go to a conference or two myself over the next couple of years, but I would like to see more participation in online conferences and I hope that “experts” and “geeks” will be the first to push these events.