One meme that's been getting some more discussion lately is this idea that virtual-world conferences offer some advantages over physical conferences.  John McKnight just wrote a nice comparison, where he covers metrics like convenience, cost, ability to "network" (meet people) and carbon footprint.

Aside:  Who thought it was a good idea to use the word "network" instead of "meet people"?   I bet it was the same corporate suit who thought it would be a good idea to rename the "Personnel" department to "Human Resources."  Please pay more attention to the words you use, lest we all start thinking of ourselves as computers.  It's an interesting analogy, but not one that should be taken too literally, lest we start treating each other like machines.

 
Robots! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty... For tonight, we dine in Silicon Valley! - Photo by atp_tyreseus on Flickr (Creative Commons)