Visual interaction design: outside looking in at CHI 98

In my mind I imagine what it might have been like: warm, breezy downtown Los Angeles, if there even is such as place; the bland and artificially cooled interior of some behemoth conference center; the crowds milling around during coffee breaks-talking, or checking the conference schedule for the thousandth time; people wandering around alone or with old friends they only ever see at CHI; compulsively checking the message board like you compulsively check your email back home.