This year’s AAA meetings, which have been embroiled in controversy (see coverage on this blog), have an interesting online component they’re calling AnthroCommons. The site seems intended to create an online space for discussion, postings, and sharing of thoughts and conference papers. This is an excellent idea I think, especially since a large number of people who were intending to go to the meetings in San Francisco are apparently not planning on attending in Atlanta.

Here’s how the AAA describes AnthroCommons:

AnthroCommons: A Virtual Community for the 2004 Annual Meeting AnthroCommons will provide a single place where section presidents can post announcements and information related to the annual meeting and other events throughout the year; a place where session organizers can post papers and related scholarly content; and a place for an ongoing digital discussion forum among members to follow discussion threads on the scholarly program, as well as to allow comments by others. AnthroCommons will not provide a real-time discussion forum to replace face-to-face meetings, but will enhance the meeting by allowing posting of comments on papers and sessions. All postings are viewable by AAA members and the public-at-large.