It was during my first NCDD conference, that I first connected with colleagues from around the country working in the field of online deliberation. It was during this conference, that we tentatively took steps towards forming the online working group of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium. It was through the relationships I developed at that conference, that I began to feel a part of a national network and was able to connect the work I had been doing in a corner of my basement, with my larger efforts going on around the country and the world.

During the subsequent conferences that I’ve attended, the faces representing “online” deliberation have changed, as more folks are gradually moving into this sphere, bringing new ideas and a fresh perspectives.This year, most of the “online” folks at the conference were attending NCDD for the first time. Over the next few days, I hope to write more about the “online” folks that I met at NCDD and the work that they are doing.

Here is a short video that introduces three of the “online” projects represented at this years conference.