I declare that The First Thursday Group is well and truly launched - or if not exactly "launched" it is at least splashing out. We couldn't have our usual etherpad online meeting today so "First Thursday people" did other things instead.
- I have two emails to share about hopes and plans for 2014 (from Ade Adewolu and Andrius Kulikauskas)
- I got a text (from Guy Cowley) and a phone call (from Olalekan Lawal) when their attempts to join the January First Thurday meetign resulted in "Cannot GET /January-2014-First-Thursday" so we det up an impromtu skype meeting instead.
- John Dada and Andrius Kulikauskus also came looking for us on Skype
- I'd like to share the keypoints of what we discussed - but I know from last year and the etherpad meetings that writign up regular summaries of online meetings is a task that I simply can't take on. I hope someone will before the year is over.
- Before our session had ended Gerry Gleeson (who hosts the First Thurday meetings on his server in Chicago) was also on Skype updating me on his progress with the new implementation of etherpads following a major problem over the holiday.
- As the meeting was drawing to a close Mark Roest emailed his apologies from USA as he'd overslept. Time zones have always been a problem for our fixed First Thursday meetings. He also sent me lots of information about a new open university in BC and New Zealand - I'm not sure how best to share that.
In the past when people have shared information with me, (but really it should have been shared with a wider group) I've suggested they join us at a First Thursday meeting. Of course this hasn't always been possible. From now on I think I'll just ask them if it's okay to share it with the First Thursday Group, and gradually find out what the most appropriate way would be to do that. Maybe we need a First Thurday Group on yahoo or something.
Anyhow - I declare the First Thursday Group to now exist beyond the confines of "one hour online on the First Thursday of the month"- and we will see what emerges.