BOBCATSSS 2009

There is still time to register for BOBCATSSS 2009! We are planning to close the registration on the 9th of January 2009. If you have not paid your registration fee already, please do so as quickly as possible.

As a practical note, some of the workshops and tours have been overbooked due to our registration system. Therefore we cannot guarantee a place if you were a late payer. We will offer you a chance to check out if you have been accepted before the symposium starts.

Also, more information about the keynote speakers and their topics has been added.

The programme of the symposium has now been published. At least at the moment it is only available in PDF format: day 1, day 2, and day 3. There are three parts; one for each day of the symposium.

We still reserve the right to make changes, but there shouldn’t be any major ones. This means that you can start planning your own conference schedule. Abstracts and closer details will be published later.

Update 2008-12-19: All full papers, workshops and posters are now listed on one page in the programme section.

Greetings from Porto!

Breathtaking landscapes, delicious cuisine, and rich culture. Porto is such a wonderful city! That’s what I heard people say about Porto, and I just had to see it myself.

So, here I am, a Finnish information science student, a member of the BOBCATSSS 2009 organizing committee, having the time of my life in Porto. I arrived in Porto in August 2008, five months before my Finnish colleagues’ arrival.

Besides studying at the University of Porto and getting acquainted with the city, I’ve had the chance to get to know the Portuguese team members. By frequently being in contact with my Finnish colleagues, I believe, the communication between the two teams has improved. The organizers both in Finland and in Portugal are working hard on creating yet another great BOBCATSSS.

And I have to tell you, everything I heard about Porto beforehand is true. Porto is amazing and I’m sure you’ll love it too. Looking forward to seeing you in Porto in only 7 weeks!

Até já.

Johanna Varpila
Porto & Tampere

The organising of a symposium such as BOBCATSSS requires efficient communication. Firstly, it is necessary to publish up-to-date information and instructions for the contributors and participants of the event. This website tries to answer those needs. Secondly, because not every question can be answered based on the information found on the website alone, email correspondence must also be handled. Thirdly, there is the issue of how to coordinate the functions between the organising teams in Porto and Tampere, that is, internal communication.

Fortunately, information technology comes to the rescue. Publishing and updating a website such as this can be done rather easily and inexpensively using readily available tools. Many of the external communication needs are handled by our web presence. Those that are not, require personalised treatment.

Writing replies to inquiries sent to the BOBCATSSS 2009 email address takes a lot of our time, especially now because of all kinds of questions concerning the registration. Unfortunately it can sometimes take a while for us to answer your questions, so please be patient. And please first try to find the answer by carefully reading the instructions presented on the website.

Internal communication within and between the Tampere and Porto groups is another matter altogether. The Tampere team gathers in person once or twice a week, Team Porto about once a month. The web learning environment Moodle is the primary tool which we use to coordinate activities and stay in touch. In addition to that, the teams in Porto and Tampere communicate by occasional instant messenger sessions and video conferences, plus email.

Team Tampere’s own IRC channel has proved invaluable especially when physical meetings are simply not possible: it functions as an excellent daily knowledge sharing environment of sorts, where e.g. answers to all kinds of pressing issues or questions can be collaboratively thought through, and feedback given.

There’s much more to organising a conference than meets the eye, including communication issues. All this work is meant to give you, the participants, the best experience possible!