tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post7355743800278288523..comments2024-03-29T04:56:21.649-07:00Comments on eLearning Technology: Better Conferences - Response NeededTony Karrerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-54692684183469248132007-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:002007-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:00Love the idea of having "fringe presentations" at ...Love the idea of having "fringe presentations" at the end of the day. Actually, it sounds like a hybrid conference - unconference and conference combined. This is likely something that could work well with traditional conference organizers!Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-36539732010653852612007-09-09T04:25:00.000-07:002007-09-09T04:25:00.000-07:00bring in the fringe, and make talking more product...bring in the fringe, and make talking more productive. <BR/><BR/>in a BBC conference, delegates attending were invited to host 'fringe' presentations which happened at the end of the day. these were planned only a few weeks before the conference. attendance was a bit lower than the regular conference, and these fringe presentations were in smaller satellite rooms running concurrently. but it was a chance for smaller companies and projects to get some airing. and the people who showed up were strongly interested in the topic. <BR/><BR/>the best thing about a conference, for me, is meeting like-minds, sharing ideas and making connections. this is much easier to do in person than online. using open-space technology on the day to prepare topical sessions would help. experts and attendees could choose to participate where they felt the most interest, and small group discussion in those rooms could be noted by a volunteer 'scribe' online via a wiki, etc. <BR/><BR/>open space meetings i have attended have always been shockingly productive. and i think conferences could harness some of that spontaneous energy of open space. it requires less planning ahead of time- and the topics are also unavoidably relevant and important- because people put them on the table to start.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-21383107651429170002007-07-03T10:53:00.000-07:002007-07-03T10:53:00.000-07:00I think I like the idea of putting this on a Wiki,...I think I like the idea of putting this on a Wiki, but I'm not sure I get what it would look like?<BR/><BR/>Let me know thoughts on that.Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-25842795742545582742007-07-03T06:25:00.000-07:002007-07-03T06:25:00.000-07:00Mark makes a good point. This thread should be con...Mark makes a good point. This thread should be converted lock, stock and barrel to a wiki.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-65609490609410248032007-07-03T06:18:00.000-07:002007-07-03T06:18:00.000-07:00Oh yeah...one other thing...anybody else feel like...Oh yeah...one other thing...anybody else feel like this comment thread could almost be its blog or wiki site or something?Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08218024853670656902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-33772469134490882212007-07-03T06:17:00.000-07:002007-07-03T06:17:00.000-07:00Just came across this on the TED site. How does th...Just came across this on the TED site. How does this strike everyone here as a guiding design principle for conferences? <BR/><BR/>"TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, <B>who are challenged to give the talk of their lives</B>."Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08218024853670656902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-54208352971816797982007-06-30T13:32:00.000-07:002007-06-30T13:32:00.000-07:00I'm up for Monterey! Some of us will be involved ...I'm up for Monterey! Some of us will be involved in pre-con activity (e.g. the symposiums), so even before would be good. <BR/><BR/>I like the idea of vendors being more involved, but has anyone else noticed how few elearning vendors have anyone who understands learning on their executive team? Check out their sites, and their management team. They know biz, and technology, but learning? Sorry, one of my hot buttons. <BR/><BR/>But I'd like to get them involved meaningfully. Really engage... Maybe a 'blind date', randomly matching speaker with vendor, and they have several weeks to see what emerges from their collaboration before the conference. Could be good for both, <I>and</I> the captured reflections (required) could be of interest too.Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07822235162664957878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-64531623618194243842007-06-30T11:31:00.000-07:002007-06-30T11:31:00.000-07:00Great idea for precon activity before the Guild......Great idea for precon activity before the Guild...one idea - let's figure out how to make it valuable to them and look for some soft of sponsorship maybe...ooohhhh t-shirts.....<BR/><BR/>Jody - also really like your idea, and I was just thinking about how to get vendors more active in the conference...maybe there is some eating your own dog food possible there...make your tools available and let people convert the content of sessions into Web-based modules or whatever using your stuff...people learn how to use your tools, we get to generate some interesting content and bingo! (but seriously, don't forget the t-shirts)Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08218024853670656902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-69681472605555841632007-06-30T07:21:00.000-07:002007-06-30T07:21:00.000-07:00Jody - want a fantastic line of thinking. Learn.c...Jody - want a fantastic line of thinking. Learn.com sponsored one of our beer and bloggers. They were great to work with on making that happen. And it was a great way for us to get to meet them.<BR/><BR/>I'm definitely thinking that most vendors will have folks who would participate as experts. What's interesting is how few of the major vendors have blogs. I've been pushing a few of the experts to start their own blog so they can be more like the folks from Articulate who've definitely done a good job getting a personal connection to folks through their blog.<BR/> <BR/>I'm not sure what models would work here for greater vendor participation. I wonder if any vendors will see this and provide thoughts?Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-76494014958817586962007-06-29T13:04:00.000-07:002007-06-29T13:04:00.000-07:00I'm wondering if vendors/exhibitors might be able ...I'm wondering if vendors/exhibitors might be able to play a bigger role in making a conference successful? Having participated in several e-learning conferences as an exhibitor, I can tell you that it is a boring, tedious experience. It's kind of like fishing, only without the beer. Many hours pass by with little or no action, then there's a break, everybody storms in and it's like a feeding frenzy (quite literally because we're usually located by the food). <BR/><BR/>Seriously though, most vendors I've spoken to would welcome the opportunity to participate more fully in the conferences they attend. The question is how?Jody Batyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10807121150382325152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-26458640432219486472007-06-29T06:04:00.000-07:002007-06-29T06:04:00.000-07:00Jay and Karl - maybe just prior to the eLearningGu...Jay and Karl - maybe just prior to the eLearningGuild event in October in Santa Clara (San Jose) we could arrange some time with a few of us? Monterey is certainly nice and not far away, but my guess is that the eLearningGuild folks would be happy to try to provide us space at their venue roughly when the pre-cons are happening.<BR/><BR/>Plus, I'm thinking that since it's Silicon Valley, maybe we could get a few start-ups to talk about the stuff that they are doing.<BR/><BR/>Any thoughts?Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-14148323777712048252007-06-28T18:19:00.000-07:002007-06-28T18:19:00.000-07:00Jay,Count me for for Monterey! Sounds great.Jay,<BR/><BR/>Count me for for Monterey! Sounds great.Karl Kapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10586071112339563727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-39700557850418704392007-06-27T15:34:00.000-07:002007-06-27T15:34:00.000-07:00I just ran across a brief mention of the Blogger C...I just ran across a brief mention of the Blogger Cafe at the NECC. I found a brief description on the <A HREF="http://lounges-necc2007.iste.wikispaces.net/" REL="nofollow">conference site</A>.<BR/><BR/>What's interesting about it was the intention that these were just rooms to get together to discuss a topic. What a great idea. I could have an informal follow-on to a session with folks in one of the rooms. The folks who were in the Blogger Cafe sound like they had a particularly good experience with lots of discussion and informal learning.<BR/><BR/>This might be an interesting model!Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-10393276200241895682007-06-26T20:20:00.000-07:002007-06-26T20:20:00.000-07:00Conference organizers face a dilemma. Economies of...Conference organizers face a dilemma. Economies of scale push them to go for big numbers. This leads to conferences which are purported to serve novices, experts, executives, developers, old hands, and anyone else with the money to spend. Events like that are usually lousy for all involved. <BR/><BR/>Among the conferences I've learned the most from are those that are outside of my discipline. The annual neuroaesthetics conference is always an eye-opener. The conference on Accelerating Change is a mind-blower. I'll never forget a video industry event where I described what I do for a living, and this guy lights up, saying "Oh, you're a content provider."<BR/><BR/>Last week I attended Supernova, a gathering of business folks and techies exploring what's at the fringes. I asked a pal I saw in the hall what he thought of the conference. He said he wasn't attending; he was simply waiting for a lunch date. He said he refused to go to regular conferences anymore: unconferences are the only ones worthwhile.<BR/><BR/>I agree wholeheartedly with Karl Kapp's observations, especially that small is beautiful.<BR/><BR/>Generally, I think it's best to put one speaker on the platform when you could have three or four. <BR/><BR/>Part of the dissatisfaction with conference structure reflects a larger cultural shift. Fewer people want to be spectators; they want to be active participants. <BR/><BR/>Tony, this is a never-ending topic. I'm not certain the conference hosts will be able to change. They have an "installed base" that expects to be talked at. <BR/><BR/>Anyone up for a conference in Monterey? Passionate people only. Wine, beer, hot tubs, low cost, sixty people max, user-defined agenda, and overall theme of helping one another.jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16271633210993298646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-32874358025685645842007-06-26T04:34:00.000-07:002007-06-26T04:34:00.000-07:00Hi Tonyjust a couple of quick thoughts:i) if you'r...Hi Tony<BR/>just a couple of quick thoughts:<BR/>i) if you're presenting design for partial attention/glanceability (Tony Hirst and I have discussed this), ie have slides that prick people's attention with good visuals, not lots of text, but be happy for them to dip in and out while doing email. Personally I probably pay more attention _overall_ when I can dip in and out.<BR/>ii) Similar to a lot of the ideas mentioned recently, Tony Kaye organised a cracker barrell session at a conference last year. There were lots of tables laid out with free wine and cheese. Each table had a hot topic to discuss. You had ten minutes at each and then a klaxon sounded and you had to move to another. Good for socialising, discussion, feeding in to talks, etc.<BR/>MartinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-18349243829149597372007-06-26T04:11:00.000-07:002007-06-26T04:11:00.000-07:00I just posted a new bit on this topic here.I also ...I just posted a new bit on this topic <A HREF="http://blogoehlert.typepad.com/eclippings/2007/06/more-on-making-.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>.<BR/><BR/>I also wanted say too that I love the idea of conferences reducing their carbon footprint. In this age of print-on-demand I'd like to say I don't know why we are still printing huge programs but of course I do know why. Its the same reason that 150 person conferences don't work...money. Conferences are big business and programs mean print ads...so maybe one part of this discussion becomes how can conferences come up with a business model that both supports a fair profit and yet doesn't make me feel personally responsible for the death of a rain forest every time I whip out that program?<BR/><BR/>One of the main reasons I like the BarCamp style is that everyone presents - I also like crafting a distributed experience - but want to make sure we preserve the "everyone presents" motiff even within a distributed set up. No fair if you can just sit there at your computer and lurk while everyone else has to prep. :-)Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08218024853670656902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-90599949121738649242007-06-25T06:31:00.001-07:002007-06-25T06:31:00.001-07:00"Karyn - I don't see your comment either - I did a..."Karyn - I don't see your comment either - I did a test comment - do you see that one when you click "full results"?"<BR/><BR/>I do indeed. Who knows what happened there?<BR/><BR/>The suggestion I made was on the lines of a distibuted conference, with centres in various places, linked by simulcast a la the Live 8 concerts. Saving on travel costs and reducing the conference carbon footprint. Some of the presenters could appear at each of the locations. Organisation carried out by partnering businesses in each centre. I don't have all the details sorted out in my head, yet, but I think it's an avenue worth exploring. The time zone issue could be a risk, but it could also add to the fun - making the whole thing a bit bar-campish for delegates.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-89918796474801325132007-06-25T06:31:00.000-07:002007-06-25T06:31:00.000-07:00Just saw a couple of interesting posts on this top...Just saw a couple of interesting posts on this topic from Tom Haskins:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://growchangelearn.blogspot.com/2007/06/meetings-of-mind.html" REL="nofollow">Meeting of the Minds</A><BR/><BR/>and<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://growchangelearn.blogspot.com/2007/06/strange-persistence-of-conferences.html" REL="nofollow">Strange Persistence of Conferences</A>Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-57691915944946231082007-06-25T06:06:00.000-07:002007-06-25T06:06:00.000-07:00Wow, this has been some really interesting thought...Wow, this has been some really interesting thoughts. At some point, I'll try to summarize a bit of what we are saying here. Although it might be really interesting to see someone from the eLearningGuild or ASTD jump in a bit in the discussion at this point.<BR/><BR/>A few thoughts...<BR/><BR/>Karyn - I don't see your comment either - I did a test comment - do you see that one when you click "full results"?<BR/><BR/>The cost aspect is an interesting issue. Travel costs are always going to be relatively high (air+hotel+food). So, trying to do a "less expensive" conference may be difficult. Although the point about location/price is interesting. I personally like when conferences get scheduled somewhere I want to travel already. It's a good way to see places. This is likely going to be a bit of a challenge. Finding a location and price point that will balance these things. I guess I'd first look for us to create something that people would feel compelled to attend.<BR/><BR/>Point noted on my use of terms - "experts" and "newbies" - Is "Novice" right? In volleyball we call it "fresh meat" - but that probably won't work either. :) And expert is clearly wrong, but I'm not feeling the "Concerned Citizen" either - maybe it's more "Experienced Professional"? Surely these labels must exist elsewhere?<BR/><BR/>It seems that we all want to see demos - but like Tom Crawford - I want to see what's new and different. And I also want to see where the level set is at so having a bunch of demos available that gives a level set - just don't make me sit through all of them.<BR/><BR/>Karl's experience with the 150 attendees is interesting. If we do something as a precon, but then have those same folks filtering into the main conference - do you think that would be able to get a similar effect?<BR/><BR/>I like the idea of "everyone presents" in some form. It certainly would force preparation which would be really interesting. If we really wanted conferences to have impact on folks, we would do something more like that. The problem is that most folks are just along for a ride. Doubtful they would even attended the online keynote prior to the conference.<BR/><BR/>But this gets me to wondering if there's not maybe a different mindset that could be applied here. Should a conference possibly focus itself on the people who were willing to commit to more than a ride? Go along the lines of certification, but not make it a certificate - rather make it a badge of distinction that might have value or cache in the industry?Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-82917779357744468572007-06-24T20:09:00.000-07:002007-06-24T20:09:00.000-07:00Tony et al, Having been to dozens of conferences (...Tony et al, <BR/><BR/>Having been to dozens of conferences (sometimes all in the same year)over the year, I found that the single most valuable conference I ever attended had less than 150 people and all the presenters and the attendees were "required" to stay and go to social events together. I presented and learned a ton from the other presentations and from the attendees. We had meals together, round tables together and generally got to know (at least by site) most of the attendees at the 3 day event. <BR/><BR/>The problem is that most conferences go for size...the more attendees the more profitable. But we all know from learning research that smaller class sizes are better.<BR/><BR/>The difference between a big conference and a small conference is like a big box hardware store and a mom and pop hardware store.<BR/><BR/>Both have what you need but at the big store, you are forced to find it on your own with little guidance or help. Sometimes you are successful this way and sometimes frustrated.<BR/><BR/>In a mom and pop store, you can get more personalized and special attention. You feel more comfortable and you are carefully able to explain what you need. Although you might not always find everyting you are looking for.<BR/><BR/>At the box stores, you get to sample a lot but none of it is really too indepth or helpful unless you already have an idea of what you need to accomplish.<BR/><BR/>Now economically, it might not make sense to have small conferences but a broadcast lecture to 100 or so people can easily be done via web technologies. An intimate group discussion with 20 people honestly talking about issues of concern is not so easily done on the web and is one of the strengths of face-to-face communication.<BR/><BR/>I think we need to leverage conferences for what they can do well...shared experiences (drinking beer together), ad hoc discussions in small groups, robust question and answer sessions, personal demos... and use technologies for broadcast lectures and such...the things they are good for.<BR/><BR/>Why not have a "blended conference" where the broadcast stuff (like a keynote) is done online and the discussions are done at the conference. If there were only a few people in each session, you bet people would prep (ok, you hope people would prep but the threat of exposure might force more people to prep...ok, so it only works in academia...never mind).<BR/><BR/>Also, love Brent's RFID badge to see where everybody is hanging out...great idea.<BR/><BR/>And Will's idea about critiques and saving people from bad ideas would work in small groups with multiple people who are experienced in the field. This would also help our field weed out falsehoods and misperceptions.<BR/><BR/>Finally, maybe have a conference where everybody presents...people new to the field and those experienced. With the caveate that they types of presentations are different. <BR/><BR/>Newer folks present on problems or frustrations they are facing and audience members provide feedback...more like a facilitated exercise than a presentation. If a number of experienced people were in the audience, they could crituqe each other and collaborate as a group on a solution.<BR/><BR/>Then more experienced folks could present on best practices, new ideas, etc. That might break down the presenter/non-presenter wall that sometimes exists. <BR/><BR/>One other thing, I went to a conference once that had sessions in the morning until noon. Then fun activities during the day organized by conference and then we got back together from 5:00-9:00 with a buffet dinner to discuss ideas that came to the attendees during the fun time. Great idea...again need a smaller number of attendees.<BR/><BR/>Just a few ideas and, of course, you could do an entire discussion on helping conferences be more Presenter friendly as well. But that's another post.Karl Kapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10586071112339563727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-73039633223534933032007-06-22T20:53:00.000-07:002007-06-22T20:53:00.000-07:00Check out Avanoo (http://www.avanoo.com/)...could ...Check out Avanoo (http://www.avanoo.com/)...could be a nice tool for doing some rolling polling stuff at a conference...Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08218024853670656902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-86457856648654397732007-06-22T08:15:00.000-07:002007-06-22T08:15:00.000-07:00Sorry for taking so long to respond. I was, ironi...Sorry for taking so long to respond. I was, ironically, at a traditional conference. I agree with almost everything that's been said here. So, I'll just bullet a few comments or additions:<BR/><BR/>- Because of the volume of newbies (the one I just left had 56% first time attendees who had been in training less than 1 year), conferences have to cater to a different audience. Since there is no content for the rest of us, we rarely attend yet we know that learning from peers and face-to-face are both really valuable. So, it's up to us to create our own if we want to use this modality.<BR/>- The conferences could benefit by having a great pool of resources who might not normally attend available for presentations. So if this was a precon, it probably wouldn't be as hard to get some of us to stick around for an extra day to do a session or two.<BR/>- Demos can be great if they are something truly new or are a great application. I don't need to see a screenshot of Second Life or of Wikipedia again, but if there's a new application or a new technology absolutely bring it on.<BR/>- On a related note, I definitely think individuals at vendors should be involved. Some of the best thinkers and experimenters in this industry are at the vendors. I'm not saying they should be there to do a pitch, but excluding them would unnecessarily remove content that I think is essential. Also, technically, Jay, Judy, Tony, I, and many others who would possibly be in this group are all vendors to some extent.<BR/>- Wrapping any event around food, libation, and an interesting location is always a great idea. I'm usually not in for conference parties, but the ASTD Atlanta Aquarium event was perfect. Learning, food, drinks, and great conversations all in one place.<BR/>- Expert Cheat Sheets: I really like the idea. It wouldn't have to be a "I-know-this-session-is-going-to-be-good" sheet, more likely it's a "here's-the-vendors-or-sessions-I'm-thinking-about-checking-out" sheet. It's what we do any way. When I saw Mark at the last conference we were continuously comparing notes about upcoming sessions. If there was a hard choice between 2, we'd split them and compare notes later. It's a great way to get other people's thoughts on sessions and cover more ground too.<BR/>- Free WiFi everywhere at a conference is an absolute must and inexcusable not to have at a tech conference of any sort. Why is it that the expensive hotels and conference centers charge outrageous rates and the cheap hotels give it away for free. It's certainly not a cost issue. Clearly they think they can make more money off that.<BR/>- I'd have to think more about the goldfish bowl idea. It has some good parts, but my gut says that a different approach might be better. An isolationist approach is bad. Yet, newbies in particular will just put us back where we were. Maybe what we need is a commitment by attendees to give back to the broader community by doing presentations, blog posts, summaries, books, new content for the broader audience, etc.<BR/>- I love the idea of an opt-in locator system. It wouldn't even have to identify who each specific dot was. If I knew a bunch of friends were all in a session or at the local drinking establishment I would almost certainly switch what I was doing.<BR/>- I also love the idea of skepticism. Chris Crawford (no relation) wrote several of his books with a counterpoint presented through out. It made for a very engaging read. I think it would be a blast to do a presentation and have all of you sitting along the side pointing out alternative or better views.<BR/>- Good add on Foo Camp. I think it could be a good template.<BR/>- Google Map the Conference floor with comments? Brilliant. Love it.<BR/><BR/>This is pretty exciting. Tony thanks for kicking off a hot topic. I can't wait to see where it goes!thcrawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879040925807139054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-90952850816902982852007-06-22T04:45:00.000-07:002007-06-22T04:45:00.000-07:00So what happens to the comments we add on the Zoho...So what happens to the comments we add on the Zoho page? They don't seem to be listed here, and I can't see them when I revisit the poll itself :-(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-19225262776501182682007-06-21T15:39:00.000-07:002007-06-21T15:39:00.000-07:00Tony, you've fired up a good one here. I especial...Tony, you've fired up a good one here. I especially like the intersection of interests and purposes.<BR/><BR/>Mark's comment about "getting" to attend one or maybe two conferences a year really resonated with me. For much of my career, I was bringing Good Things to Life. It was never easy to get the okay to attend a conference or formal event like a developmental seminar.<BR/><BR/>(Maybe that's one reason I fret about one potential of "informal learning" -- the organizations employing over 85% of U.S. workers just might like to offload learning/development onto the individual, in the way they have pensions.)<BR/><BR/>I think the novice/expert dichotomy is always real. At the same time, if there are enough alternate ways to meet and focus (as opposed to telling war stories), maybe that becomes a pathway for novices.<BR/><BR/><I>(I tend to think that "newbie" is an okay name to give yourself, but not others.)</I><BR/><BR/>Another thought is locale -- ISPI this year was in San Francisco, next year in NYC. Couldn't get much more costly places. Cincinnati as a venue a few years back was criticized, but it's more central, less overloaded.<BR/><BR/>More both/and thinking, I hope, so people can make a case for richness / opportunity / practical networking while smuggling in the looser stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-72979796034346009432007-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:002007-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00In response to Mark Oehlert's question, I see BarC...In response to Mark Oehlert's question, I see BarCamp running similar to the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarCamp" REL="nofollow">Wikipedia</A> definition. That means that a sponsor is probably necessary for the venue and some other aspects. We would use a wiki to develop the various ideas on presentations, but like an unconference, people would vote with their feet. We could go a step farther and require that everyone who attends has to have something to present. This would help to limit the size.<BR/><BR/>Personally, I could see myself flying out and paying for air/hotel but not the conference, in order to have some interesting and much less controlled, conversations.Harold Jarchehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11462304722726586155noreply@blogger.com