Live, On-Line (LOL)  & Live, In-Person (LIP) Conferences — The ALA Tech Source blog has a nice post regarding Loose LIPS (Live, In-Person Conferences where technology has forged a hybrid between digital and human interaction): 

"We carbon-based critters heated to 98.6 degrees F love to congregate. Although live Web-based events, podcasts, and Flickrd photos are good ways to extend the availability and usefulness of professional presentations, there really is no perfect substitute for a good old lippy conference or workshop. Loose LIPs—ones that utilize to advantage these new online tools for broadcasting, capturing, and conveying professional information, opportunities, and concerns—however, are a definite improvement for this tried-and-true mode of professional interaction."