If you're like Alex, you're already in Las Vegas at the Community 2.0 conference, and good on you. The rest of us aren't bitter about your hot, sunny days and your swimming pools and your rubbing elbows with fellow leaders in the social web. Not in the least.

Why? Because if we can't go to Community 2.0, Community 2.0 will go to us. Here's how they're expanding participation beyond the conference rooms, hallways and luxurious spa treatments rigorous breakout sessions:

• The Future of Communities, a companion blog to the conference.
• A discussion forum.
• A Gabbly chat page, for live chats.
• A dedicated IRC chat channel.
• The tag community2.0, for aggregating content on Technorati, photos on Flickr and (thanks, Lou!) bookmarks on del.icio.us.