As far as I’m concerned, the very best among the many great things about being part of Creative Commons is getting to meet CC users and supporters face-to-face. Knowing that one and a half million web pages (and growing) carry Creative Commons licenses is always an inspiring thought, but getting together with musicians and writers and activists and business people who use Creative Commons — particularly when I’ve never met them before — is the most satisfying thing I can imagine. At such times, it’s as if our basement office in sleepy Palo Alto suddenly stretched out to hold the whole CC community.

The team had just such an encounter here this week, when we got together with the EFF, EFF Austin, Common Content, and Magnatune to celebrate our common cause at El Sol y La Luna in Austin, Texas, USA. And we’ll get to do it again this Thursday, when Magnatune and Creative Commons co-host a party during SXSW Music. Thanks to all of you who came by, to those of you who’ll make the next shindig, and to all of you out there who have turned Creative Commons the idea into Creative Commons the community.