Politics Online Conference

I’m currently at the opening session of the 14th Politics Online Conference, which is hosted at the George Washington University by the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet (IPDI). Phil Noble, President of Politics Online, and a long time champion and innovator in the field just introduced the opening panel.

I’ve been around since the earliest Politics Online conferences, both as a speaker and an attendee. I’m not certain, but I may have spoke at the first one, back when Dan Solomon founded the conference years ago. In his comments moments, Phil embarrassed and flattered me by pointing me out in the audience and acknowledging my role in bringing the first member of Congress onto the web (Senator Kennedy in 1994), and then Phil said, “… and look at him, he’s still a kid!”.

Thanks Phil for the kind words and recognition. And especially for the ‘kid’ label which was especially welcome today, when I might otherwise feel too much like an old dog 🙂

UPDATE: Sitting down to the post-lunch keynote address and some guy walks by me in my aisle and says, “Up close you don’t look as young as Phil said, I guess he couldn’t see you too well from up there.” Thanks Pal!

UPDATE 2: I’m very proud of the fact that we took home a Golden Dot Award in the category of best web site for an Issue Advocacy Campaign for our work on behalf of The Great American Condom Campaign.