The importance of conferences and social interactions to technologically mediated cultures has been well documented. From MIT's Model Railroad club and Stewart Brand's original hacker conference to today's free and open-source software “cons,” these events not only allow for face-to-face interactions between people who share common interests, but also create “scenes” of people who become friends, work together, and support each other. Despite near-constant discussion and chit-chat through the online communication tool du jour, it is often in-person socialization and collaboration that bring to bear the geographical importance of a scene.

Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, loc. 154