13th annual sociology blogger party & socarxiv pre-launch!

Back when blogging was a bit newer, and more rough and tumble, the kindly proprietors of scatterplot began a yearly tradition of hosting a party to bring together the “unruly darlings of public sociology” – those who put their sociological thoughts into the void, without the benefit (or mainstreaming pressures) of peer review. Sociology blogs seem to be everywhere now. Journals have blogs, sections have blogs, universities have blogs, and everyone from graduate students to department chairs gets in on the act. And yet the blogger party remains a vital institution for bringing them together and encouraging our peculiar brand of “doing sociology in public.”

This year’s blogger party coincides with the announcement of the SocArXiv project. Just as blogs started in part to give an outlet for less filtered, less polished – but more timely, and perhaps more cutting –  sociological insights, SocArXiv hopes to serve as a public repository for working papers as they wind their long and twisty way through the peer review process (or not!). Modeled after the incredibly successful arXiv.org, and developed in collaboration with the folks at the Center for Open Science, SocArXiv 

But what’s this got to do with the blogger party precisely? Well, at the party we’ll have information about the site, a little pre-launch commemorative button, and – courtesy of the project – some free food! Full details are below, we hope to see you there!

The 13th Annual ASA Blog Get-Together & SocArXiv Party!

Sunday, Aug 21 from 4pm-7pm

The Pine Box Bar

1600 Melrose Ave, Seattle
(about a 10 minute walk from the Convention Center, just walk NE on Pike, and hang a left on Melrose)

As Tina put it, “All blog writers, commenters, and readers are welcome, as are folks-who-used-to-write-but-don’t-so-much-anymore-you-know-how-it-goes, lurkers, tweeters, and assorted people who simply would like to come. Please recall that well-behaved sociology faculty will generously purchase a beverage or two for a thirsty graduate student. We may be awkward, but we don’t need to be that awkward.”

Please join us! And if you can’t make it to the event, but still want to hear about SocArXiv, drop a comment on this post and I’ll be happy to answer your questions or put you in touch with someone who can.