A Digital Inclusion Unconference?
August 24th, 2009 | by Jon Bounds Published in Digital inclusion | 25 Comments
Having been inspired by the efforts of all sorts of people and organisations at the National Digital Inclusion Conference this year, we were immediately (on the train back to Birmingham in fact) thinking of how we could meet up with those people again and share more of our ideas and experiences.
More than that, a chance to talk not so much about policy — and money which distracts from the work itself at many turns — but about the methods and techniques of how to best help people.
We’re also aware that these conferences can be very costly to attend, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to go to the NDIC without the support of UK Online Centres — and the cost factor is a big issue for many smaller third-sector organisations. This conference is again very expensive.
So, who would be interested in an unconference-syle event for Digital Inclusion practitioners?
Proposed for late October, somewhere in Birmingham (central for the country, but also where we can organise it most easily), one day – with social event afterwards, barcamp style, as free to attend as we can possibly manage (attempting to attract sponsorship or free venue etc).
Leave a comment here if you’ve any ideas, or just to say that you’d be interested.
Tags:Digital inclusion, unconference
August 24th, 2009 at 11:14 am (#)
Sounds great & would love to take part…
August 24th, 2009 at 11:19 am (#)
Yup, me too! Keep us posted!
August 24th, 2009 at 11:20 am (#)
How about making it a Saturday so more people can attend?
I really enjoyed attending the last one as a social media surgeon & citizen journalist. Would love to take part again!
August 24th, 2009 at 11:22 am (#)
I think we thought Sat, although hadn’t specifically tied anything down re: dates.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:22 am (#)
Count me in
August 24th, 2009 at 11:32 am (#)
I’d attend this conference; when and where?
August 24th, 2009 at 11:44 am (#)
Sounds good!
August 24th, 2009 at 11:45 am (#)
when, where and how can we help?
August 24th, 2009 at 11:54 am (#)
Yep, I’d be interested in this and would like to take part.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:54 am (#)
Sounds good guys, be keen to help to if you need extra hands!
August 24th, 2009 at 11:55 am (#)
would love to attend remotely if you can get chat back channel or a livestream.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:49 pm (#)
Sounds good to me.
August 24th, 2009 at 1:02 pm (#)
Excellent idea!
August 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pm (#)
Sounds great – I believe the last Birmingham Barcamp was held at Innovation Depot.
If you need people to help organise or help with finding sponsors I have been involved with barcamps in manchester, leeds and newcastle.
August 24th, 2009 at 1:29 pm (#)
Never heard of Innovation Depot – or any Birmingham Barcamps (other things, but not barcamps) – are you sure that’s Birmingham in the UK?
I think we like the idea of the venue not being one of “the usual” ones – shooting for something a bit more experimental. So suggestions a welcome, as are offers of help.
August 24th, 2009 at 2:00 pm (#)
Make that iCentrum in the Science Park (not Innovation depot) and it held around 100 attendees
August 24th, 2009 at 2:01 pm (#)
How many attendees would you ideally like to find a venue for?
August 24th, 2009 at 2:03 pm (#)
@Sarah – don’t know, we’re just attempting to gauge interest.
August 24th, 2009 at 2:15 pm (#)
Barcamps are just a name of unconferences that usually cover tech and geek subjects.
They have a good resource for people wanting to set up an unconference with Best Practice and Advice on Sponsors and that type of thing if you feel there is enough support – which I’m hoping there will be.
http://www.barcamp.org/OrganizeALocalBarCamp
August 24th, 2009 at 2:21 pm (#)
@Sarah thanks – although my definition of a barcamp would be something less focussed (I wouldn’t say you could have a “DI Barcamp” as it restricts the focus).
I was saying that their hadn’t been any in Birmingham (there have localGovCamp, MoseleyBarCamp, WXWM 1 & 2 etc etc) – a quick Google revealed the one at iCentrum was something to do with Microsoft game design(?) so I understand why I’d have not known about it
Some good resources on the link
August 25th, 2009 at 12:20 pm (#)
I’m in!
September 5th, 2009 at 1:56 pm (#)
Yes brilliant idea. I’m all for sharing and reusing and doing as much as pos for as little as pos.
I agree about possibility for remote participation – chat or some kind of web radio.
Unconference also just a great concept – conferences cost huge amounts and yield what? Enough for a report and a few cards you can’t remember why you got them
October 7th, 2009 at 8:46 am (#)
Would love to hear more about this and mention it in our weekly Broadcast blog (www.digbethtrust.org.uk/Broadcast.html) to let smaller VCOs around Birmingham and the West Mids know it’s happening
November 6th, 2009 at 11:21 am (#)
Will be around in UK, then and keen to hear more
February 24th, 2011 at 9:34 pm (#)
How about holding Digital Jelly’s ?