OpenSesame BarCamp Lebanon Feb 2009: Main - Notes - Press - Pictures
(FYI: This is a collaborative website that anybody can edit to register, add sessions/ideas, volunteer for time slots, etc, HOWEVER, only one person can edit it at a time. If you want to edit (for example, to register), but it shows that somebody else is editing it, please try again soon. Remember, you have to sign in to the website (upper right) first, and then click on "EDIT" on the upper left to make changes. If you still have difficulty, you can contact us at <innovate (at) therootspace (dot) org> or at <sami.tueni (at) naharnet (dot) com>. Cheers!)
OpenSesame BarCamp-Lebanon
- OpenSesame BarCamp-Lebanon
- OpenSesame BarCamp-Lebanon Open Press Release
- Pictures
- WHAT is a BarCamp?
- HOW will it work?
- List of Barcamps
- This site/project is open & collaborative. Even logo choice is democratic... :-)
- Calling All Bloggers, Writers, Twitterers, Taggers, etc. (use tag: "barcamp-lebanon")
- Sponsor, Partner, Organizer logos :-)
- Project Needs (please sponsor, or help us find sponsors!)
- General Resources, Questions/Answers, etc
- Are there any RULES to a Bar Camp?
- WHY do this?
- Is the "Open Information" concept new in Lebanon, and the region?
- People already don't respect copyright laws and intellectual property, for example, so why should we care? Isn't everything already open?
- Q&A and FAQs from the latest email:
- Q1: Are you really going to give us free t-shirts and free lunch??
- Q2: What should I bring to the event?
- Q3: What is going to happen when I go to the BarCamp?
- Q4: What does it mean to lead a session?
- Q5: What kind of sessions can I propose on the morning of the BarCamp?
- Q6: Can't this page be vandalized?
- Q7: This is a great idea, and I'm excited! How can I help?
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OpenSesame BarCamp-Lebanon Open Press Release
http://www.barcamp.org/OpenSesame-BarCamp-Lebanon-press
Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35846696@N02/
"Openness" provides many benefits in education, society and social development, technology, innovation, government, the business world, civil society, arts and creativity, intellectual development, and much much more. "Closed systems", "closed minds", obsessive protection, and hording of information and knowledge all slow down innovation, ideas, and development.
Who should come? Technology developers, entrepreneurs, students, lawyers, teachers, artists, bloggers, journalists, product and graphic designers, and anyone interested in social, political, or economic development wanting to learn more, share knowledge, and meet interesting people. (We are also looking for some talented lawyers to help with a Creative Commons translation/adaptation project for Lebanon. Please let me know if you might be interested, or know of someone who might be interested. It takes a bit of volunteer work, but it is also a great way to promote a lawyer or firm interested in intellectual property rights law.)
WHAT is a BarCamp?
An "open source conference", of sorts... we propose the theme, invite people, and then we collaboratively create the schedule that day. What does that mean for you? To make this work, we need people who want to lead discussions, and people who want to participate in discussions. Check out the Wikipedia description, or the official Bar Camp website. (we'll be posting up there soon... and yes, as far as we know, this is the first Bar Camp to be held in the Arab World)
HOW will it work?
We invite everyone to gather at 10am for coffee and snacks and to meet each other. Sometime soon after we gather for a brief welcome to the event, and then everyone in attendance helps to collaboratively set the agenda for the rest of the Bar Camp. We will have a grid on the wall with different rooms and time slots (short sessions), and lots of pieces of paper for you to write your session idea down on. You can find other people with similar ideas to join together for a session, or not. As you wish.
An example schedule will be: [CHANGED THE DAY OF TO 3 sessions]
- 10-11am: welcome, coffee/snacks, chat, then collaborative scheduling session (COME EARLY, THIS PART IS IMPORTANT)
- 11-11:45am: Session 1
- 12-12:45: Session 2
- 1-2pm: Lunch
- 2:15-3pm: Session 3
- 3:15-4pm: Session 4
- 4-5pm: report back to the group (casual discussion of coolest things during the day); hang out, clean up, go home! (or wherever else you want to go...)
List of Barcamps
This site/project is open & collaborative. Even logo choice is democratic... :-)
This site and this project are also "open source" and participatory... you can contact us to discuss how you want to help/participate, but you can also directly add/edit/update info here, right on this page. Everyone is an organizer. Please join us. (We are also going to be voting for logos at the first event (to be part of future BarCamp-Lebanon events that are already being planned... we have several suggestions we'll present at the event... and you can also bring your own logo design to suggest!)
Calling All Bloggers, Writers, Twitterers, Taggers, etc. (use tag: "barcamp-lebanon")
In order to make all blog/twitter/facebook postings related to this event searchable, please tag everything with: "barcamp-lebanon". Thanks!
Thanks RootSpace, Naharnet, AUB/OSB, VISP, Microsoft, Creative Commons, Youth Shadow Government, and __others?__!!!
Sponsor, Partner, Organizer logos :-)
February 2009:
October 2009:
Project Needs (please sponsor, or help us find sponsors!)
- In-kind sponsorships welcome! ... or donate cash to cover the above items. (FYI, all organizers/etc are volunteers, so all donations go to this event, ... any extras go to support the next event.) See needs above... (please contact us for information about cash sponsorships... 03-138-770, <innovate (at) therootspace (dot) org>.; it is definitely worth your while! (sponsors will be well-rewarded! (depending on the level, signs/flyers at event, blog posts, on our website and facebook group, emails, and online globally as the FIRST BAR CAMP IN THE ARAB WORLD, as far as we know, though correct us if we are wrong)
- Sponsors... please write your name/contact info (and what/how you are sponsoring the event)
General Resources, Questions/Answers, etc
Participant Registration (also necessary for volunteers, etc...)
Are there any RULES to a Bar Camp?
No, not really. Okay, kind of.
When you come, be prepared to share with barcampers.
When you leave, be prepared to share it with the world.
WHY do this?
Everybody has fun, everybody learns something, everybody participates, nobody gets bored, ... or if you do get bored, it's your own fault for not proposing and leading a session that is more interesting to you (and probably to others). :-) We hope people learn something new, and some ideas are born and develop into something cool for the participants, Lebanon, the region, and beyond.
Is the "Open Information" concept new in Lebanon, and the region?
Yes. and No. There are some interesting efforts in Lebanon (we are inviting them all to join us!), but these tools, systems, and methods could be much stronger in Lebanon, and could be great elements for further social, economic, and political development.
People already don't respect copyright laws and intellectual property, for example, so why should we care? Isn't everything already open?
In some ways yes, in other ways no. If you are in Lebanon and want to work with companies or on projects in Europe or the US, then you need to carefully consider IP/copyright issues. There are other important considerations, as well. Al-Jazeera just launched a new Creative Commons website with tons of CC content. Read the release on the Creative Commons site.
Q&A and FAQs from the latest email:
Q1: Are you really going to give us free t-shirts and free lunch??
A1: YES! But only for those who register before Feb 24... EVEN IF YOU REGISTERED BEFORE, please go back to the site and add your shirt size to the list so we make sure we get the right sizes, etc... (and yes, the shirts are going to be COOL! :-) ...) After Feb 24, including walk-on registration that day, will only cost you $20 (plus we'll accept donations!), which is still a great deal... but hey! Get it free and sign up early! (Special thanks to our sponsors and partners and organizers for making this happen!)
Q2: What should I bring to the event?
A2: Bring yourself, other techie devices you want to discuss at the event (special mobile phones? GPS devices? hackable wireless routers? etc..), and if possible, your laptop... we're going to try to get people to blog the different sessions, and having your own computer could help with different activities... but of course, it's not a necessity...
Q3: What is going to happen when I go to the BarCamp?
A3: We are all going to gather about 10am, have some tea/coffee/snacks and meet other people... then (about 10:20 or 10:30) we are going to collaboratively create the schedule of sessions that day (through a fun group process... don't be afraid). Come prepared to lead a session/discussion, or come to discuss/etc... but regardless, come prepared to participate (discuss, share ideas, learn, brainstorm, etc...). Everybody is a participant, and there are no "observers". Plan to come early (10am, maybe 10:15am) to fully participate. We will then break out into the discussion sessions, convene later for lunch, a few more sessions after lunch, and then we'll be done by around 4pm!
Q4: What does it mean to lead a session?
A4: Each session is more of a discussion rather than a presentation or a panel of presenters. You CAN show a presentation/slideshow (on powerpoint, etc), but you should use that to launch the people in that session into a discussion. (Good idea... keep presentations SHORT, five minutes MAX... much shorter is better.) The session leader (or leaders) acts more as a moderator than a presenter. (We will have at least one projector, maybe two, for you to show a presentation on...)
Q5: What kind of sessions can I propose on the morning of the BarCamp?
A5: You can propose all sorts of things... perhaps an idea you have that you want feedback on; or maybe propose a topic for a problem you're having, and you want advice from people with more experience or people who have had the same problem; OR suggest a topic for something that you're a pro at, and you want to help people out... ORRR, propose an idea and you want to gather people around to develop plans, get partners, etc... whether academic, business, civil society, online, offline, etc etc, doesn't matter, as long as it's related to the theme (which is quite broad for this event, anyway!).
Q6: Can't this page be vandalized?
A6: This site has no security, and we are going by trust, supporting open collaboration, etc. Four things:
- Changes are registered (see the page history button upper right)
- There is nearly no incentive for someone to lie, since the schedule will be created the morning of the event, regardless of what is on the list above
- People have more incentive to be distrustful if you exhibit distrust for them (within limitations, of course, and along with reducing the incentives to be distrustful)
- No anonymous editing
Q7: This is a great idea, and I'm excited! How can I help?
A7: We would love your help! Check out the website and check out the "Volunteer" section and the "Needs" section... we have some volunteer slots to fill on the day of the event, plus still some things we need to get done beforehand. (FYI... we are all volunteers for this event, so your help would be extra-appreciated!)