I was charmed by the welcoming and inclusive nature of the group, and intrigued by the way the members rise to challenge of combining the solitary activity of blogging with a face-to-face gathering. Perhaps this is the next generation of the user group.
A number of the attendees expressed interest when I mentioned that my blog is dedicated to helping nonprofit and philanthropic professionals to use technology more effectively.
It would be very interesting to see more bloggers (or potential bloggers) from the nonprofit sector in the Boston area become active in the Berkman Thursday group. The group has certainly done an exemplary job in creating a home page that encourages web surfers to move from online curiousity to attending in person. All sorts of practical questions - how to find the meeting, what the agenda is, whether the building is wheelchair accessible, whether newcomers are welcome to join the group for dinner after the meeting adjourns - are anticipated and addressed.
I would love to see members of this group "adopt" local nonprofits and guide them toward blogging that supports organizational missions, perhaps in cooperation with Bloggercorps.
NPtech
