Hypertext 2007 conference review

From September 10 to 12, 2007, over 100 attendees convened in Manchester, England, travelling from all over Europe, as well as the far climes of North America, Asia and Australia. Unlike many visitors to Manchester they weren't here to witness the city's much heralded football team, but had gathered instead at the University of Manchester for the 18th International Conference on Hypertext and Hypermedia (Hypertext 2007). Here they would discuss recent innovations in hypertext, whose most famous form exists as the World Wide Web, and assess the challenges and opportunities in the latest groundbreaking research. Traditionally the success of the Hypertext conference series has been attributed to its immense diversity, and this year was no different, with papers being divided into 5 varied tracks: Hypertext and the Person; Hypertext and Society; Practical Hypertext; Hypertext Culture and Communication; and Hypertext Models and Theory. The conference was a vibrant affair that featured 16 full papers and 7 short papers (with a 29% overall acceptance rate), posters, demos, keynotes, panels, Birds-of-a-Feather (BOFs) and social events. However, what characterized this year's conference the most was an underlying sense of reintegration, a rejoining of disparate trends in hypertext to common goals. And as such a lot of unity and camaraderie too.