My Blog

First Thursday - general information for monthly meetings June 1, 2010

Some First Thursday information stays the same month after month - and this is it.

The people

First Thursdays are "open house" so I never know who is going to drop in. I turn up every month unless I am travelling, and have done so for several years now. I hope to be joined by other people, usually people I know from Minciu Sodas or Dadamac, or friends they bring along, or even people who have discovered First Thursdays in other ways. Newcomers are welcome. There have been some wonderful chats and rich mixtures of people.

Date: First Thursday of the month

Logging on - go to worknets chat room  to log on.

Time: 12.00 GMT Greenwich Mean Time

Note to people in UK please remember GMT is our winter time, summer time is different

Here is a world clock and I have put the local start times below for the places that "First Thursday people" are most likely to log in from.

08.00 EDT Eastern Daylight Time
13.00 WAT West African Time
13.00 BST British Summer Time
14.00 CEST – Central European Summer Time
15.00 EAT East African Time
15.00 EEST East European Summer Time
17.30 IST (Delhi)
20.00 MYT (Kuala Lumpur)

More about logging on - go to worknets chat room  to log on.

  • Type your name in the box and click on “Start the chat”.
  • You will find yourself in the chat room.
  • It will “whisper” a welcome greeting to you (whispers are just seen by one person - they are not visible to everyone in the chat room - but be warned - some do appear on the archive),
  • If you want to know what people were saying before you came into the chat room click on the chat archive link. You will see it on the right hand side of the chat screen.
  • If you prefer you can check the archive before you go into the chat room  - the link is  http://www.worknets.org/archive/  - but you will not be able to write any chat of your own until you do go into the chat room properly
  • When you leave the chat it is best to do it officially, by clicking the “leave” link on the left hand side of the screen. This lets the system, and everyone in the chat room, know you are not in the chat any more.
  • Sometimes there is a problem - perhaps you have a bad connection, or power cut. On a really bad day you might have to sign in several times to rejoin the chat. This is simple to do, except that, if you did not log out, you cannot use the same name to log in. I just add a number to my name if it happens to me (Pam, Pam1, Pam2... )
  • Some people add their location to their name at log in and this is a useful idea (eg PamUK)

The chat room is easy to use. There are no complicated downloads or installation procedures to worry people who hate technology. There is no need to belong to any special group before you join in the chat. Just click the link and follow the instructions above.

Objectives

The idea behind First Thursdays is to fill in the gap between exchanging emails and meeting face to face. By meeting at First Thursdays we get to know people better and explore shared interests. We do general catch-ups and learn "who knows what" and "who wants to know what". We find ways to follow those interests up in more detail. Obviously if only a handful of people turn up then we can go into a single topic in greater depth - but depth is not the main objective of First Thursday. The objective is to discover our shared interests, to start to rub minds on them, and then follow up as we choose. Follow up is sometimes by email, or skype chats, or a few people may choose to meet again the next week for a single issue chat (at a "Topic Thursday" meeting) or whatever  suits.  

The structure

At one time First Thursdays were just informal chatting amongst a few people who normally only communicated by email, but they have evolved and now there is more structure, with a main session that lasts about an hour. It will probably have a certain focus (maybe there will be an agreed topic, or a couple of people with a shared interest will lead the chat). You are welcome to stay on later to continue chatting and networking (or turn up early). During the main session we are aiming for a more focussed discussion - not quite as formal as a meeting with an agenda - but heading in that direction. First Thursdays are still small and friendly, like an informal club. A few people turn up often, some only now and again. If you turn up several times you will probably find some one you have met before. Newcomers are welcome (First Thursdays help people to get to know each other) but we also want to get beyond friendly greetings and introductions, and concentrate on what people have come to discuss.

Any problems or uncertainties about using the chat room please let me know. Obviously the people who arrive know how to get there - but there may be other people who need more help to find their way in. Please email me at pamela.mclean@dadamac.net if there are ever any difficulties getting in so we can sort them for next time (or maybe immediately). We do not want anyone to be left outside the chatroom.

My usual thanks to Andrius for making it possible for us to hold First Thursday in the chat room.

Pamela