I read sometime ago in connection with learning that 37% of students depend on the F2F mode in which to best learn knowledge. Even a talking head is considered "better" than a cold computer screen or a cold textbook.

I well understand and appreciate the social forces involved in a handshake, maybe even a hug. Watch the French greet one another -- it is OK to hug and give a fake kiss, sometimes only on one side and often on both sides of the face. Try that with a Nordic and you'll probably get pushed away or slugged.

So, the physical presence has real value -- for most folks, even the Nordics who must always stand at least three feet away from the other person (per Garrison Keillor).

Now consider the other side the the non-opposing coin. We have scholars spending hundreds of hours reading text books and other "required reading" (including downloads from the Web). So the proof is that we can learn in both modes. Some prefer the warm fuzzies and others the cold book or cold screen. Me? I like a combination of each.

That said, I'm on a mission -- how to network people who have a strong will to create self-sufficient, sustainable intentional communities. Ideas flow in from all over the world, in seconds (my broadband is not too broad), 7/24. By using the Web, I can quickly cover a huge amount of material, extract the "nuggets". To me, that is "power learning".

I've attended many conferences, seminars, only to have some presenter wade through knowledge I already have. I'm not being arrogant here -- just the fact that the time and cost to attend a conference to eat stale bread is not as exciting and fruitful as using that time and money to cast a huge net and select just the fish I want to examine.

This discourse is not to discourage F2F meetings in a physical cafe. I've been to several an met some really nice folks and learned from some of them, What the Virtual Cafe is trying to accomplish is as ADD ON!.

Even a F2F cafe can benefit, When the cafe is over, does all of the good knowledge just go up in smoke? A few conferences tape the presenters and sell the tapes. Not a bad idea, but there is a better way. A presenter can upload h/h talk ahead of time and then just take questions in stead of repeating what everyone has supposedly read. The table's appointed scrivener can keep notes and post them. A chat box can be the source of exact works, the transcript of which can be poste to the Virtual Cafe Site. Video and audio recordings can be posted. We can have a continuing dialogue, post cafe, on important issues --- FOLLOW THROUGH!

Meetings should be for decision making and agreeing to implement the decision, not for presentation of factoids and opinions. How many presentations have we attended which lasted 25 minutes with 5 minutes for questions?

I hope this message gets to the folks who really like the F2F as the primary cafe setting, because we need them to help us in the G2G phase understand their drives and needs so we can shape the Virtual Cafes to emulate F2F as best we can.

Please help us by becoming a member of World Cyber Cafe and putting some posts and comments on the DISCUSSION FORUM or BRAINSTORMING http://worldcybercafe.wetpaint.com/page/Brainstorming Wiki pages. Also please visit the MEMBERS page and add your background and interest in World Cbyer Cafe. .http://worldcybercafe.wetpaint.com/accountSearch/all Please leave your calling card in the membership dropdown menu. Thanks and ... here's a Cyber Hug (hug).

Jim