On the Net
Are more online conferences on the way?
CMAJ 2000;163(3):322
Another Internet milestone was reached earlier this year with the first fully interactive Webcast of a biomedical symposium. Participants at the International Cartilage Repair Society (www.icrs.ch) gathering were joined electronically by specialists from around the world.
The Webcast of the conference, held in Göteborg, Sweden, included the main conference speeches and panel sessions, poster presentations and live surgery. E-participants were invited to watch using their Web browser and RealPlayer software, and submit questions via email during interactive sessions.
Although no details were available regarding the number of e-participants who logged on, organizers were expecting their servers to be as busy as servers used during other live surgical events. But unlike these other Webcasts, which have been aimed at the public (e.g., webevents.broadcast.com), the ICRS meeting marked the first major biomedical conference to be Webcast.
Although they were first, ICRS officials expect other conferences will soon follow suit. Given the reality of busy schedules and tight travel budgets, the Internet is the perfect solution for physicians needing to attend international gatherings.
"The pressures of modern working life are now such that it is not always possible to set aside time for travelling to congresses," said Dr. Pierre Mainil-Varlet, the ICRS secretary. "Torn between the benefits to be derived from attending such meetings and the time pressures keeping us at home, we are thus forced to make a choice. Our interactive Internet project may now offer a solution for this dilemma."
For those who missed the live conference, the ICRS recorded it and is selling copies of the sessions over the Internet. The cost online ranges from US$20 for single speeches to US$190 for the whole event. A CD-ROM of the conference is also available for US$450. — Michael OReilly, mike@oreilly.net
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