BARCAMP?
So what is this “Barcamp” thing all about? Despite what the name implies, it is not a beer-guzzling excuse to go outdoors with over 100 people. Although the idea is tempting in itself…
What I am talking about is a fantastic opportunity to come participate in a conference that is unlike any conference you’ve ever attended, unless you were present for Barcamp 1.0. This is what we call an “unconference”, a format where the attendees are the presenters and the camper decide what topics/presenters they want to hear. No keynote speakers, just people in the know sharing what they know. Sound good so far? But wait, there is more.
PROPOSED TOPICS
You can expect a lot of various sessions at Barcamp. The first Camp we had here in Birmingham included AJAX, Ruby On Rails, Microformats, typography, web 2.0 and even juggling for geeks. This year, expect discussions on Twitter, social media tools, marketing, startups, design and more!
PRESENTERS
As promised, you, and other like-minded people that you want to meet.
NETWORKING
This is a bonus here at Barcamp and we encourage this every chance you have while attending. Some people come to look for better career opportunities. More than a few campers attend just to see old friends and make new ones. The discussions and networking opportunities are invaluable. This year my goal is to make at least 5 new friends and add no less than 10 new contacts. Are you one of them?
FREE, AS IN BEER
Yep, this unconference is free. How cool is that? It isn’t often that you get so much value for free.
MAC, LINUX, WINDOWS, WHO CARES?
We do not discriminate based on your computer’s platform here at Barcamp. There will be free wifi for each. The same goes for your cameras. Bring them both and share with the gang!
STILL READING?
Register yourself as a camper and/or presenter as well as more Barcamp details by going to our wiki site: http://barcampbirmingham.org/ The not-so-secret password is c4mp. See you there!
Photos courtesy of Dimitri, Glynnish & Photo Mojo with gratitude and no compensation whatsoever.