The "Leonardo Electronic Almanac Discussion" (LEAD) accompanies selected Special Issues. A live chat session with authors/artists and a moderated discussion list for readers to engage with authors.

Moderator's Note
:: Discussion, as in dispersion, setting free, and shaking
   by Sandy Baldwin

LEAD Chat Transcripts
:: John Cayley
   9 Oct 2006 @ 1400hrs EST

:: Loss Glazier
   10 Oct 2006 @ 1900hrs  EST

:: MEZ
   17 Oct 2006 @ 0300hrs EST

:: Stephanie Strickland
   20 Oct 2006 @ 1300hrs EST

:: Manuel Portela
   23 Oct 2006 @ 1600hrs EST

:: Jason Nelson
   24 Oct 2006 @ 1300hrs EST

What is the LEA New Media Poetics Special?
Guest edited by Tim Peterson, the issue features Loss Pequeño Glazier, John Cayley with Dimitri Lemmerman, Lori Emerson, Phillippe Bootz, Manuel Portela, Stephanie Strickland, Mez, Maria Engberg and Matthias Hillner. Don't forget to scurry over to the equally exciting gallery, exhibiting works by Jason Nelson, Aya Karpinska, Daniel Canazon Howe, mIEKAL aND, CamillE BacoS, Nadine Hilbert and Gast Bouschet. Click here to access the LEA New Media Poetics Special (LEA Vol 14 No 5 - 6).

View archives of the LEA New Media Poetics Discussion Forum:
http://groups.google.com/group/leanmp

About the moderator
Sandy Baldwin (Ph.D, New York University) is Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Center for Literary Computing at West Virginia University.

Chat instructions
Live chats will use Jabber (http://www.jabber.org/), an open, secure, ad-free alternative to consumer IM services like AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo. The New Media Poetics chatroom is on the jabber.org public server under the name "leanmp" and the password "leoalmanac." Follow three easy steps and you are ready to join the chat:

1) Download and install a Jabber client. A list of recommended Jabber clients is available at the following url: http://www.jabber.org/software/clients.shtml. For Windows users, we recommend the Exodus client. For Macintosh users, please use Psi, as the other recommended clients do not consistently register on the Jabber server. For Linux, Psi is also available, but the other recommended clients should work as well.

2) Register as a user on the jabber.org public server. When you first open your Jabber client you will see a start screen. If you do not see this screen, or if you are not starting the client for the first time, the screen is also available in a pull down menu as Account Details or Preferences (depending on your Jabber client). Enter a username, password, and server. Use any username and password you choose. Enter “jabber.org” as the server. When you register, if your proposed username is taken, you need to choose another. Check the button for "new account" or to automatically register the account (depending on your client). Note: you may not be able to register if you are not using one of the recommended clients listed above. Hit OK or Login. Your Jabber client will then automatically register you and connect you to the jabber.org server.

3) At this point, you are ready to chat, but there is one more step: you must join the chatroom. Select "Join a Chat Room" from your client's pull down menu. Enter the name of the chat room: leanmp. Enter the password: leoalmanac. You can also specify a nickname or "handle" to use while in the chatroom. Hit "Finish" or "OK" to join the chat. The chat room window will open and you are ready to go! Note: the chat room may not be available outside of scheduled chat times.

Additional information is available at the Jabber userguide: http://www.jabber.org/user/userguide/.