The hosts of berkeley, and , always came to oakland and were always supportive there, and we linked topics together from the start. Those are all things that help. Nevertheless, the two conferences overlap, and neither has a charter to serve the whole East Bay region. It would be a big job, but the time might come some day for berkeley and oakland to do a double-rollover and launch, together, the eastbay conference. By the city metaphor, I suppose.
Cities grow themselves as a great many people do many small things.
The city's structure gives each citizen room to make contributions, and it has places for citizens to get together. I found that it transformed the real Berkeley. It's important that we recall those times in our online lives, because on any given day it's just that way to someone entering your conference for the first time. If my experience was typical, then that first flush of enthusiasm is a host's opportunity to enlist new people. If we never met each other at all, the Well would be, truly, only a virtual community.