Stephen Downes

My main objection to this article is that it uses the word 'convening' as a noun, which hurts my ears. Beyond that, the criticism of conferences is reasonably sound. "The power dynamic with funders often leads to programming that focuses on showcase rather than struggle and performative agreements rather than engaging to understand the hard nuances of our work." Also, "the format, as it usually is now, pretends it is about content and problem-solving (w)hen, in fact, it is built around hallway conversations and drinks at the bar." I don't think turning conferences into some sort of school addresses the issue. Let's recognize them for what they are, 'continued socialization into a discipline'. This is a pretty complex function, and is a lot more than just 'learning stuff', 'solving problems' or 'achieving outcomes'.