Chris Messina on BarCamp
Posted by Jeff August 05, 2006
Chris Messina, creator of the BarCamp concept, explains it to a french journalist -
- Basically an open source conference
- Everyone is a participant
- Intensely local: local flavor
- BarCamp is a “communitymark”, can be used by anyone.
- Typical Fri night-Sun afternoon
- Sometimes people camp out.
- Serves a need: people connecting offline. Low cost, emphasis on participation.
- In opposition to traditional audience/lecture model
- Community will often emerge after Barcamp.. not just about the event, but what happens after.
- Initially Geeks in Silicon Valley - spread via wiki, flickr, blogs, IM. Early adopters used. Kept cost low.
- Future: wider, more diverse from the original. SWDev needs to go through reniassance - we’re more diverse, interdisciplinary.
- Build your own event: don’t have to wait for one. Interdisciplinary. Example: Winecamp. Geeks+Nonprofits - neither comfortable, no power/WIFI. Didn’t have things to make them feel “normal”.
- CaseCamp: Marketing. GodCamp: Universal Unitariants.. MashupCamp.. etc.
- Main idea: those who show up make a difference in the event.
- Barcamp has no pretension - everyone who comes is equally qualified to speak.
- Don’t really believe in experts anymore - “if you’re not providing value as a gatekeeper, get out of my way.”
- Useful: catalyzing conversation, new ideas, bringing out participiation. Accelerate knowledge-building and creation.
I should be better about keeping in touch with folks I met at BarCampBoston…
