[Taxacom] The Barcode of Life and Web 2.0

[Schindel, David]

The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL; www.barcoding.si.edu), in collaboration with the International Barcode of Life project (iBOL; www.ibolproject.org), is developing a range of new activities and capabilities that take advantage of Web 2.0 technology.  Many of these will be unveiled at the Third International Barcode of Life Conference in Mexico City from 7-13 November 2009.

The Barcode of Life is on Twitter!

Tweeters, please follow us @barcodeoflife where we'll be sharing insights from the community and up-to-the-minute announcements and happenings at the Mexico City conference. And if you plan on tweeting at the conference, please use the official conference hashtag: #barcode09.  For those of you who don't tweet but would like to stay on top of what's happening at the conference, bookmark http://feeds.barcodeoflife.net, where you can see barcoding twitter feeds and media coverage.

The future "Barcode of Life" central website

The rapid growth of DNA barcoding over the past five years has led to a proliferation of initiatives, acronyms and websites.  This exuberant growth is a positive sign of the health of the barcoding enterprise but it can also be confusing.  CBOL and iBOL are developing a new central website under the banner of "Barcode of Life" that will provide the community with clear information about and links to the organizations, initiatives, and projects that make up the Barcode of Life initiative.  The preliminary design for this website will be unveiled at the Mexico City conference on computer monitors distributed outside the auditorium.  Conference participants will be invited to submit their feedback on the design.

The Online Barcode of Life Community Network

Both iBOL and CBOL have been working to expand participation around the world in the Barcode of Life.  The iBOL project leadership has asked CBOL to lead its Communication and Outreach Working Group, and CBOL has engaged Night Kitchen Interactive (NKI), a website and new media company, for this effort.  Matthew Fisher, President of NKI, will be offering workshops during the Mexico City barcode conference on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9-11 November.  Conference participants are invited to attend the workshop for a brief introduction to the Barcode of Life Community Network.  

These workshops will take place at:

	*	11:00 to 12:00, Monday, 9 November: IB-UNAM Building B, Classroom 1(?)
	*	4:00 to 5:00, Monday, 9 November: IB-UNAM Building B, Classroom 1(?)
	*	1:00 to 2:00, Tuesday, 10 November: Mexican Academy of Sciences Auditorium A

Please come and give us your feedback on this exciting new opportunity to connect with your barcoding peers online!


David E. Schindel, Executive Secretary

Consortium for the Barcode of Life
202/633-0812; fax 202/633-2938; portable 202/557-1149
Email: SchindelD at si.edu 
CBOL WEBSITE: http://www.barcoding.si.edu 

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