Michael McBride wrote on 15/09/2020 19:49:
No, we should cancel. But there’s got to be others, than just me, that would be in Prague if it was held. So planning future hybrid events would be good.
It's easy both to over-sentimentalise meeting locations and to rage that the meeting location should be entirely irrelevant. But the location matters because we're humans and our brains dose dopamine according to external stimuli.
Prague is gorgeous, it really is. It's one of life's great pleasures to chat with a friend over breakfast with coffee + pastry in a 19th century Prague cafe. But that's not why we go to meetings in places like this.
Hybrid events need to happen. However much we like to believe that the future is virtual, we've got several hundred million years of evolution all pushing us towards close-up social interaction which you just can't get over a video call. Whether we like it or not, there are too many people who are zoomed out at this stage and are craving social interaction with their peers.
For the moment, we have the privilege and technology to do virtual meetings, so let's do that. But let's look forward to and plan for in-person meetings as soon as they are workable. Brian wisely points out the 1918 pandemic: everything passes but it will take time.
Nick
