Social networking tools and Web 2.0 are this year's talking points. But the chatter hides their growing history as means to contact, link and engage a broad range of friends, strangers, existing and emergent groups in forms of work and play that build (or challenge) civil society.

Social networking tools and Web 2.0 are this year's talking points. But the chatter hides their growing history as means to contact, link and engage a broad range of friends, strangers, existing and emergent groups in forms of work and play that build (or challenge) civil society. Their effect has been seen in charity fundraising, community decision-making and political mobilisation. Their use has created shadows (see, for instance: http://partnerships.typepad.com/civic/2006/12/social_media_su.html) that altered the strategy of organisations and changed the shape of projects to include greater and wider participation.

But tools alone don't make things happen. So this is an opportunity to explore the practices that lead to change and share ideas about the use of these tools to democratise consultation processes, win hearts and minds and the rest. Please bring your experience of working in this way and the potential - and challenges - you see in the new forms of social organisation supported by these developments. We welcome informal and unorthodox contributions as well as more formal talks. Emphasis will be upon reflection and practice, rather than grand research objectives.
There will be full wifi connectivity.