Conversants (ISSN: 1940-5022) is a limited-run, open-access journal about participatory networks. Part of a joint project between the Information Institute of Syracuse and ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP), the journal is a forum for the exchange of ideas relating to conversation-based theories as well as their applications in knowledge environments. Articles and essays are solicited not only to increase our understanding of participatory approaches to virtual and physical settings, but also to challenge the scholarly and practice communities. The emphasis of the journal is on durable concepts that transcend any particular technology or suite of functions.