LinkedIn Group to Follow a Conference

I recently accepted an invitation to join a LinkedIn Group. No big deal, like many of Slaw readers I am a member of a handful of relevant discussion groups in LinkedIn. I follow LinkedIn Groups that could generally be described as communities of practice. My groups have titles like Canadian Association of Law Libraries, Knowledge Management for Legal Professionals, Law Firm Research Managers, Law Firm Knowledge Management (a subgroup of Legal IT Netowrk), and so on.

I remember the term “communities of practice” best from an Ark Conference that I attended years ago called Best Practices & Management Strategies for Law Firm Library & Information Service Centers. Coincidentally, Connie Crosby, who was also a speaker at that conference, posted here at Slaw about the conference and about Joel Alleyne, the moderator who was discussing this concept.

The LinkedIn Group I joined yesterday could also be described as a community of practice. Its title is Best Practices & Management Strategies for Law Firm Library, Research and Information Services 2013. This is an open group for people interested in following the 2013 conference. Following a conference on LinkedIn is not something that I have any experience with, though I like the concept. A lot.

  • Rather than relying on Twitter hashtags, discussion is collected in one place by design
  • There is greater potential for detailed discussion with multiple people, something that can be difficult with conference blog posts
  • There is potential for in the moment posting via LinkedIn mobile app use during the conference
  • There is potential for an ongoing community of practice if the group continues to thrive

What do you think about following a conference with LinkedIn?

Comments

  1. Thanks, Shaunna. I like this idea a lot, with one reservation: there is a limit on the number of groups we can belong to on LinkedIn without upgrading to a pro level account. I reached that limit a while ago. In order for me to join a new group, I have to let one go. Not a big deal to most people, perhaps, but if a new group is started for every conference, we will all be hitting that limit.

    Perhaps it would be better to have the conference discussion inside an existing group, or create a sub-group? For example, there could be a main “Ark” group, and then each conference could reside inside.

    But, I do like the concept.

  2. Neat idea, for sure, and I like it for all the reasons you mention. (Connie’s suggestions, too.)

    Back in 2006, a new website called “Confabb” offered the same sort of service (I remember because I blogged about it!). I don’t think the site ever really took off, and today it’s live but is basically empty.

    I still think there’s huge potential for this concept, especially since organizations have to be very on the ball to have their conference web presence properly organized and accessible. It will be interesting to see whether a more grassroots approach, such as LinkedIn groups, is successful.