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A Digital Inclusion Unconference?

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.

  1. Tim Davies Reply
    Sounds great & would love to take part...
  2. Jennifer Jones Reply
    Yup, me too! Keep us posted!
  3. Ben Whitehouse Reply
    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!
    • Jon Bounds Reply
      I think we thought Sat, although hadn't specifically tied anything down re: dates.
  4. John Popham Reply
    Count me in
  5. James Robertson Reply
    I'd attend this conference; when and where?
  6. Philip John Reply
    Sounds good!
  7. Julia Higginbottom Reply
    when, where and how can we help?
  8. Gavin Wray Reply
    Yep, I'd be interested in this and would like to take part.
  9. Nat Higginbottom Reply
    Sounds good guys, be keen to help to if you need extra hands!
  10. cyberdoyle Reply
    would love to attend remotely if you can get chat back channel or a livestream.
  11. Diane Sims Reply
    Sounds good to me.
  12. Janet E Davis Reply
    Excellent idea!
  13. Sarah Kate Norman Reply
    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.
    • Jon Bounds Reply
      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.
  14. Sarah Kate Norman Reply
    Make that iCentrum in the Science Park (not Innovation depot) and it held around 100 attendees
  15. Sarah Kate Norman Reply
    How many attendees would you ideally like to find a venue for?
  16. Jon Bounds Reply
    @Sarah - don't know, we're just attempting to gauge interest.
  17. Sarah Kate Norman Reply
    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
  18. Jon Bounds Reply
    @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
  19. Rick Reply
    I'm in!
  20. Amina Reply
    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
  21. Pauline Roche Reply
    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
  22. Ben Parkinson Reply
    Will be around in UK, then and keen to hear more
  23. Archie Workman Reply
    How about holding Digital Jelly's ?

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