***A reader writes

Dave Winer asks a basic question: “I have nothing on my schedule other than the 10 Websites that Rock the World.

“I did send an email to Bill Gates! (But I don’t expect an answer.)”

The most fortunate people in Davos are those with the fewest commitments. They can go with the flow, and pursue the scent of what sounds intriguing and novel. There’s a definite bush telegraph in Davos, where participants pass on the word about which Forum Fellow is unmissable (and sometimes, I have to confess, which merits a rain check). In the way of Davos, you too often hear of the “greatest ever” session after it has happened, but people and ideas cycle through the programme so you should be able to catch up.

Casual conversation in the lounge. Recognise anybody?

Tomorrow I’ll try to answer Dave’s question about “what I’m supposed to do” in more detail.

***What’s a meal session?

Some people don’t understand what happens at the many lunch and dinner sessions in Davos. There’s no simple formula for meals, but they tend to fall into three categories.

Most meals are organised around what we call table hosts. The people you see listed in the programme will each preside over a discussion over the meal. In most cases, the session is introduced by a moderator, who may set the context of the discussion or suggest questions to raise. Each of the table hosts may offer some preliminary remarks. At the end of the meal, each table generally reports back to the entire group.

A handful of meals are arranged as panels, little different to what you would expect in the Congress Centre, other than you eat while the panelists talk.

Finally, there are some meals in Davos that are largely social. The Saturday dinners, which gather together all of the politicians from a region, are the best example of this genre in Davos.

***Web savvy folk in Davos

Dani Rodrik, one of the Forum Fellows, has sent me news of his website. Global Trade Negotiations Home Page is developing into an extraordinary resource on international trade issues. Particularly in the aftermath of Seattle, Dani’s site should prove valuable for most participants in Davos.