Who are you considering for the panel? Could be very interesting.

So, the subject of the panel is "sex and relationships"? Are you sure you can cover that topic in a reasonable way in just an hour? Wouldn't it be better to focus on a more-specific topic?

@ Deb: Thanks for commenting! As proposed, my list of suggested panelists could include the following: Julia R. Heiman, director of the Kinsey Institute; Julie M. Albright , USC professor who researches online relationships; Carole S. Vance , Columbia University professor who researches interpersonal sex relationships; and others.

@ Evan: The specific focus of the discussion centers on research and the implications that it has on how people pursue sex & interpersonal relationships online. If you'd like more info, I'd love to chat with you in depth. Please feel free to email me directly. (I'll send you an email via your site as well.)

I've just started listening to the podcasts! I think you'd be a great moderator for this subject. Should you get this panel, and should I not be able to attend SXSW, will the discussion be available online at some point?

Might I suggest some key 'relationship' players in online worlds (secondlife etc.)

I wouldn't mind seeing a comparison of offline relationships that started online vs. pure offline relationships: duration, marriage rate, divorce rate, whatever those relationship-studying people use as quantifiers.

@@ LESLIE COOPER: THANKS for listening to the podcasts. And thanks, also, for your kind endorsement. I'm really excited at SXSW, and I hope this panel makes it into the program. About making SXSW content available online ... SXSW is really good about doing this. And, if this panel is in the program, I'll post as much video and audio of the panel on my blog as SXSW will allow. Hell, I'd probably do a SXSW countdown.

@@ TOM TESTA: Yes, I'd definitely balance the panel between online and offline relationship players. Linden Research folks (Second Life developers) would be great. If I remember correctly, I think SXSW I read that has snagged Second Life for a main stage presentation.

@@ S PARKER: Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it, and I'll take it into consideration.

Tom Testa: And, by "I think SXSW I read that [...]" I mean "I think I read that SXSW [...]". Sheesh! My pinky finger got a little "return" happy before I had a chance to proof my last comment. :)

great idea!

Thanks! :)

By the way, to the folks ( ... and by "folks" I mean Pegs ...) who emailed me to ask, "Where do you vote? I only saw the description of your panel and then the comments." Glad you asked! Because if you have this question, it's likely that others might as well. To vote, simply scroll up to the top of this page. Under the words "Adult Conversations [...]" and next to the words "Your Vote", click the number of stars that you'd like to award this panel idea.

I think SL developers wouldn't be your experts -- it's the community leaders, the people who create and grow community around romance and sex. Like Stoker Serpentine/Kevin Alderman. But I'd be really interested in the academic perspective, simply because I so rarely see any academic people openly researching -- or playing, or having relationships, or having sex -- in virtual spaces. They seem removed from it and I would love to a) be proven wrong and b) learn what they see from that remove, if I'm right. LOL

Hey, there! I read your column over at Wired (and your blog). Love it. You're exactly right about the academic perspective; too often, virtual spaces and academia do not collide -- even though they each have relationships and have sex ... and, not to mention, they both write about it. From the very beginning of proposing this panel, it's been my goal to use the panel to bridge the gap between the academic and virtual worlds. The emphasis will be on research. Should make for an interesting discussion indeed; I'm really excited about SXSW.

This sounds like a GREAT panel and I love the people that you are thinking about involving. I will attend SXSW for this panel alone (and lovely to see all the people whose blogs I follow commenting here, as well!)I'm doing my dissertation research on a very similar subject (women who engage in casual sex encounters facilitated by the internet, and the implications for intimacy, relationships etc)

Wow, THANKS! And, yeah, this panel idea is soooo "my baby". Have I mentioned how excited I am about it yet? If this panel makes it into the program and you attend SXSW, definitely say "hi". Actually, now that I think about it ... Two of my Texan readers mentioned that they'd come by if I go to Austin; so, I'm not sure of the details about it yet, but I'll probably throw a little FBC afterparty / shindig somewhere.

T.A. I agree with You on main issue the presentation was greet. Keep up great work!

I read all the conversations and all are very useful tips for me.I am very interesting like this topic.Thanks to all the posters.
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william

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Very interesting discussion, thank you