I attend international meetings at distance at least=
Dear ecologgers,=0A =0AI attend international meetings at distance at least=
2 /year on a regular basis and often changing the field (not different fie=
lds but rather related ones).=0AReasons I do that instead of limiting to pa=
per readings? =0A:=0A1. Unifying the field around the globe by updating the=
tools we all use=0A2. Find new ideas within and from out of the field: for=
richness=0A3. Of course networking with people from different cultures whi=
ch I found it quite exciting=0A4. Getting out of the routine (lab and field=
) for coming back brainstorming and with enthusiasm.=0A5. Why not, a person=
al discovery of new territories wherever they are=0A =0AAll this provide a =
rich experience and is non just theory. Since we are still humans, getting =
in touch phisically and moving around is healthy and enjoyable and I will b=
e continuing doing it for years.=0A =0AWell, financial reasons for not thin=
gs are always there as well as others. Personally I save money throughout t=
he year for attending conferences and never regreted. I consider it a perio=
dically refreshment activity, from many perspectives, and encourage you all=
to practice it.=0A=0A Liane is wright in hers last statement but,...lookin=
g for potential employers did not gave me much results so far. Does any of =
you have got positive results in this respect? I am quite interested in fin=
ding that.=0A=0ACheers=0A=0ADragos=0A=0A=0A=0A=0ADragos Zaharescu=0AAnimal =
Anatomy Laboratory=0AAnimal Biology and Ecology Department=0AFaculty of Bio=
logical Sciences=0AUniversity of Vigo, apd. 874=0A36200, Vigo, SPAIN=0Azaha=
[EMAIL PROTECTED]@uvigo.es=0A =0A=0A=0A=0A----- Original Message =
----=0AFrom: Liane Cochran-Stafira <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>=0ATo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
V.UMD.EDU=0ASent: Tuesday, August 7, 2007 6:25:30 PM=0ASubject: Re: Skippin=
g meetings=0A=0A=0AAt 04:53 PM 8/6/2007, Andrew Park wrote:=0A>Dear Ecologg=
ers,=0A>=0A>As for meetings, I suspect that they are usually more about net=
working=0A>(careerism again) and less about achieving progress in a particu=
lar=0A>field. That's why I do not go to them these days unless I am=0A>pre=
senting something specific.=0A=0AAndy,=0AI'm rather surprised by this state=
ment. Yes, grad students and =0Arecent grads may be looking for potential =
employers, but that is =0Ahardly the main reason people attend ESA or any o=
ther scientific =0Ameetings. The main goal is to find out what is going on=
in our own =0Alittle corner of the research world as well as to scout out =
what's =0Anew in other areas of ecology, microbiology, or whatever. As som=
eone =0Aelse has mentioned, it's impossible to read all the ecological =0Ar=
esearch papers, but if I spot an interesting abstract, I can easily =0Aget =
more information in the form of a talk, seminar presentation, or =0Aposter =
session. And, I can discuss the research with the author in =0Aperson. N=
ot sure what meetings you've been attending to come away =0Awith such a nar=
row view of their value.=0A=0ACheers,=0ALiane=0A=0A=0A=0A******************=
*********=0AD. Liane Cochran-Stafira, Ph.D.=0AAssociate Professor=0ADepartm=
ent of Biological Sciences=0ASaint Xavier University=0A3700 West 103rd Stre=
et=0AChicago, Illinois 60655=0A=0Aphone: 773-298-3514=0Afax: 773-298-3=
536=0Aemail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]://faculty.sxu.edu/~cochran/=0A=0A=0A =
=0A___________________________________________________________________=
_________________Ready for the edge of your seat? =0ACheck out tonight's to=
p picks on Yahoo! TV. =0Ahttp://tv.yahoo.com/
