Those who’ve been lucky to attend and participate  [moi!] in this years conference SciOnline09, traditionally held in January every year at Research Triangle Park, Sigma Xi, NC/ US, could learn a lot, meet great interesting people from different fields of activity and brainstorm, create new ideas, projects. Even more, all good things after the conference at the beginning this year happened to me on and afterwards, so it’s time to get enough supplies of positive creative energy for the next year and meet, hear, talk with fantastic folks coming from all over the world.

ScienceOnline 2010, the fourth annual conference on science and the Web, will be held on January 14-17th, 2010 at Sigma Xi in the Research Triangle Park. Take a look at the program and keep informed about news and updates.

I’m coming to give a session on Social Media for beginners, how to use Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube etc. the smart way, find other scientists, journalists, IT folks there and collaborate. Then use these tools over the next two days to connect with others at the conference, to report from the conference and expand your circle of online scientific friends.

There’s little place left so register here for the ScienceOnline2010, see who’s coming, and join me.

First to let you know I am in Oxford, UK, at Oxford Internet Institute, having great time on my quest. This is info for all people, colleagues and friends who’ve been asking me in the last few weeks: In which part of the world are you know? I’m trying to get into academic mode and research, but I’ll write about this in my next post.

Few days ago I got email notice [as being lucky and talented blogger] for attending LeWeb’09 conference with the official blogger accreditation. I guess years and years of writing and blogging both here and on cooperative and science blogs mean something to organisers as I’m the chosen one to have accreditation and spend time this year on Real-Time Web. I hope intensive and demanding PhD programme and research won’t make me get into hermitting mode, but for your information this December in Paris these people will be talking and I have a chance to go and talk, network with them. Again, as being academic at this present moment – I hope I’ll find interesting content in the program.

Let me know if someone is also going to LeWeb’09 and this is discount code for those who want to attend, and I’m sharing with you: BLOG09, which is 10% off the ticket price to the conference.

Hello everyone! Finally I’m trying to get back to blogging as I’ve been lazy blogger in the last three weeks, with a good excuse: I am in Rome, Italy for now the fourth week running around, working, settling, apartment searching, adjusting, non-learning Italian yet, trying to keep up with emails. Thanks to all of you for congratulating me, writing me emails, asking how I am – I appreciate you being a part of my micro-community.

First about the work, as many of you asked: I work in the great surrounding, knowledge – sharing – science information – technology – open office with internationals in UN, FAO, networked with the lot of people internally in Roman high institutions as well as externally with EU organizations in a collaborative project that you’ll hear when it’s time to be heard. I’m very honored to be in charge from UN side for this project and thankful to my colleagues and especially my supervisor who gave me full trust and confidence that i can do it. This is great challenge in my career and I am so happy about the work that is developing because it has great future and even greater purpose in technology, science and semantic web, web 3.0. w00t! Every beginning is a bit odd as you try to keep up with everything what’s being done so far, to learn, study a lot, get familiar with new things – and sometimes I feel like a small ant amongst super-smart giants, but on the other side there are lot of colleagues on and off UN who are really owing me with their kindness, their efforts to help me and also learning things from me. One of the surprises from digital life was that half of them read this site/blog or any other written word on Internet. The other half is on Twitter interacting or following me. Those who are not familiar with UN structure would think it’s uptight, too formal institution and I agree – but I am so damn lucky to be in creative, innovative, cooperative part of this institution that is easy-going, relaxed, but hard-working at the same time. So, I am very grateful for being a part of it, participating and creating something new. In the upcoming posts you’ll read more about technology, life and web 2.0 and web 3.0 for sure.

Rome, and Romans: you all know that Rome is the city of architecture per se, no words here to describe how blessed I am to live in this ancient, eternal city (some of the photos). Every corner has it’s own story, many social and cultural characteristics remind me on Belgrade (well, it’s only 1.5 hrs by plane), many differences I’m trying to accept as they are: from the everyday functioning to people’s modus vivendi (referring to Roman people). Everything is assuming and there are no rules. Italians rarely speak English, or not at all. It can be difficult for everyday life – off work, but hopefully if you have some basics in old Latin or French, you can easily catch up with the conversation and understand what it is about.

Oh, I have so many stories to tell so far, but first settling and getting my base here. What I really like in my new Roman life here is that I have enough free time (oh weekends, I love you!) to do whatever I want, not to think about my PhD dissertation (for now), not to think about zillions of freelance projects I’ve been doing lately, exhausting late nights working for 14 hours and more, thinking about the existence or global economy crisis.

I’m trying to establish network of contacts and friends here, and if you happen to read this and you are in Rome, or planning to come - say hello and email me. There are many of my friends coming here and I’ve been meeting few since I’m here, please follow my Dopplr or LiveStream for more accurate information, and I’d be more than happy to meet you for aperitivo, walk, chat, hanging out in Rome.

More writings to come soon…

In the last three weeks my Twitter account is flooded with followers who are marketing agencies, web sites offering super effective strategy for you and your company, that can teach you make money from nothing and easy-fix tips and tricks. If you go to their profiles and web sites, you can find a single page with entire presentation and tons of blinking Web 1.0 ads, free newsletters, trials, twittenars, promotion talks on the ground, boat and airplane (?!$%^&), while the others just inject the buzz single update “how to earn $500 in few minutes”.  Some people on my surprise get hooked by following those accounts with so called auto- robots.

In the last few days I am carefully following what’s going on in my twitter stream and boy, oh boy – I am thinking to reduce the noise. Give Twitter in a hands of people who perceive it as an outlet in personal, professional life, with offending words, abusive comments – things can get out of control. Even for people in IT business.

This kind of communication performances with pushing nature of information, denotes (oh it is!)  the society in crisis (who mentioned global economy?). I am wondering  in which direction social media in the networked world is really going? Now, I’m starting to believe that you are who you are following. Twitter is digital, modern Greek agora but with democratic misinterpretation.

So, still craving for more followers? Here are three simple tips:

1. Be as massive as you can be: tweet and spam your friends, contacts with chat-alike tweets, blip.fm’s, retweets like: “how to ..”, “guide to…”, “grow your follower numbers to over 10,000 in a week..”, ‘follow me and win a prize…”, etc.

2. Don’t forget to mention Britney Spears in your tweets and some mainstream media buzzwords such as ‘marketing’, strategy’,  ‘solution’, ‘guru”, etc.

3. If you are female -upload attractive profile photo, if you are male – wear a moustache or left-eye-wink

Even if you are decent Twitterer with the respect for the people you are following and not that involved in twitterati’s fuzz, don’t be misleaded that Twitter’s curse won’t get you down: “Let the massive marketing twitter accounts that offer strategies follow you till the rest of your (digital) life!

In less than 24rhs I’m leaving old continent and heading to USA, East coast to have a great time, brainstorm, network, meet old and new folks at ScienceOnline09 conference/unconference/ where I’ll be giving a session and brainstorm with super-smart people, evangelizing open access, jogging the minds with Web issues. My route is very excited and interesting and if I grab a chance I may blog from the spot, edit conference wiki, but it’s very likely to catch me via my LifeStream and Twitter.

Science blog: IpScientia is launched as Serbian Science blog, and I am inviting you here to contribute and collaborate. If you have a blog that covers the topics in science, IT emerging technologies, popular science, education – contact us to add you within Blogroll network of blogs. Also, if you are using Twitter,  follow us at IpScientia.You can join our team and be a guest blogger, collaborate on IpScientia as blog author; use email form.

If you are Friendfeed user check/join the conference room, this is me at FriendFeed, more information on the way. If you are using Dopplr, you can certainly stop me for a tea at any EU/US airports, follow the schedule. Thanks to all donators for laptop cause, I will keep you post-it about my final action and decision. This and next week is full of travels, flights, meetings, and b-days (read: moi, w00t!). The later, as next week is my- oh- my, I’ve  managed to celebrate burfday on several spots in a single day, including both continents, airports, and who knows – expect unexpected. If you notice tall girl in a jeans &hoodie with PDA, mobile, books and magazines under the arm and a backpack, feel free to poke me (not superpoke accepted!).

Reminder for those who are into science blogging: you have two more days to participate in PLoS ONE  Second Birthday Synchroblogging Competition, it is right time to submit your posts! You can find here how.  Still, you have time to vote in the 2008 Edublog Awards. Check out nominations, there are some great edublogs.

Those who are planning to attend or participate in ScienceOnline09 , you can follow updates on FriendFeed , my Twitter timeline or Bora‘s site.