I noticed a post on Jeremy Harrington's blog about an event up in Ann Arbor, Michigan called "ArbCamp". It's a commercialized, sponsor driven variation "loosely modeled after barcamp."Loosely modeled so long as you mean, you know, not frigging at all.
BarCamp isn't about writing on walls or deciding agenda's on the fly. That's an unconference (or, as the blog* format might suggest, a variation of one). BarCamp is about taking shared values, those commonly found in the open source community, and applying it to the unconference setup. BarCamp's an open source, user generated, conference. If someone isn't going to buy into the values that BarCamp establishes, then they're not throwing an event loosely based on barcamp. They're throwing just another unconference.
In this particular case, the event organizers (a marketing company, go f'n figure) are suggesting that its loosely based on the barcamp model, but yet they're selling $2,000 sponsorships that come with dedicated speaking time and charging $65 for "full day admission." This is, quite blatantly, a commercial rip off of whats intended to be a free event model. They're taking advantage of the incredible amount of hard work folks from the community have put into creating the barcamp brand, repackaging it, aligning themselves with the brand by suggesting they have something in common with it, and then selling it for their own purposes.
Loosely based on barcamp? Psh. It's the conference equivalent of a gpl violation.
People are free to do what they will. If someone wants to start a conference and make some coin, then hey, whatever. It's just a shame to see someone blatantly take advantage of the barcamp brand like that. If you're considering attending this event, then recognize it for what it is and attend it as such: An overpriced rip-off of the real thing. You'll be forced to listen to whoever paid the most money as they try to pitch you crappy products and services instead of listening to people engage in quality discussion over topics that they're passionate about.
Seriously. If you're going to spend $65 on this event, you're better off doubling up and buying a plane ticket to attend a genuine barcamp.
Comments...
(Page 1)1. (going to spill out a good bit, haven't given my opinion on this yet):
Whoever started this camp up clearly fails to understand what a barcamp is, or is just trying to use a novel idea to make a quick buck, and is going to get some harsh criticism for what they are doing.
I understand the idea of breaking even to cut costs, however charging $65 for each person should be enough to hold a decent conference as it is. However it should be noted its $15 for the conference and lunch, $5 for conference only, and you get two books if you attend the keynote.. But that doesn't make it any better. They are selling podium spots. And obviously, those 2 minute spots are going to be pitches, and nothing else. I also love how on the blog, they post the rules of barcamp, which of course they contradict.
I'd be interested to see how many people actually attend the conference, and how the atmosphere differs.
The blog* model seems to be a much better approach in general (Ad-hoc, but you don't get any face-time, no pitches). Let's keep it that way.
On that note, what do you all think are the major factors that make a BarCamp a BarCamp (opinionated question)?
6:13PM on Oct 9th 2007 by Judson
2. Judson,
You should be able to hold a barcamp style event for 1500, probably much less. barcampOrlando was a full on barcamp blow out (in a good way), and I still think the budget was only 4k or so (gregg?). Unconferences, by design, carry with them a ghetto fabulous feel, ya know? I'd be shocked if their costs were high enough to justify such a large entrance fee.
I think what makes a barcamp a barcamp is the idea of free, open collaboration in a "user generated" form. It has to come from within the community and it has to be open to anyone to participate (in pure forms, everyone should participate). If I can pay money and have a greater advantage over someone who didn't when it comes to speaking -- thats the type of payola that has plagued the conference circuit and what folks hope to avoid when attending a barcamp type of event.
- In this situation, my spidey senses tell me that they're trying to profit from the event, which is something I highly disagree with (not with profit, but with using barcamp as an avenue towards profit).
- I have a problem with open unconferences creating high barriers of cost as I think it reduces the quality of participation (geeks in garages are doing the coolest things). I also think that attaching a cost to an even like barcamp is ultimately against the spirit of the event.
- I have a problem with giving sponsors an upper hand in terms of air time. It's a dangerous path to follow and can lead to an unconference basically becoming just-another-conference.
Anyway.. I'm right with ya.. I'm curious to see what they're able to pull off.
7:27PM on Oct 9th 2007 by Alex Rudloff
3. Damn. That's a real shame. Though one good thing came of it...
The most clever thing I've read all week:
"Loosely based on barcamp? Psh. It's the conference equivalent of a gpl violation."
9:42AM on Oct 11th 2007 by Eric Marden
4. So let's do a thought experiment.
Let's imagine there's a mill town. A place where there's a big factory, and there's always been a factory as long as anybody can remember. It doesn't matter what they make; maybe they make cars, and maybe they make university alumni, but either way it's a factory atmosphere.
Safe, fundamentally conservative, basically bad for innovation and secure in its traditions.
Now suppose there is a subculture of people in the area who have, through the years, invented something new. People who, oh, I don't know founded weird-ass things that local people don't pay attention to: slashdot, Extreme Programming, wikis, social network modeling, stuff like that. Stuff everybody else in the world considers "theirs" now, but which in fact originated geographically near this sleepy little mill town.
I know it's a stretch, but consider it's an imaginary thought experiment. Noplace like that could exist, surely.
Now suppose the mill was shutting down.
How would you take the people who live there, who until recently have been protected, safe mill workers and wingtip-wearing marketers used to selling metal or MBAs, and bring them up to speed? People who have never understood Open Source, or agility, or any of the things you imagine are absolutely crucial to life &c?
How would you take the under-represented technically creative minority and get them to understand they don't have to move to Portland or Cambridge or Sussek or Shanghai to get a leg up? People who have never realized you can't just write a better git or a Ruby gem for WoW character naming and make a living?
In other words, how would you build a new community? With these people who never actually talk to each other?
But who are about to be out of a job. It being the worst economy in the damned country at the moment.
If you wanted to run a meeting, would you come right out and cater to the assumptions aand prejudices of the geeks right away, and spout MARKETERS NEED NOT APPLY U OLD MORONS? For example? Or would you come right out and say NO BLACK T-SHIRTS ALLOWED YOU MUST BE ABLE TO USE sed TO ATTEND?
I think both those groups, and a lot of others, are easily scared. They can all stand on their hind legs and generally make themselves understood amongst themselves, and so they think they're what you'd call Civilized and Sophisticated. And Correct. And when they get their version of sophisticated correct civilization stepped on by Outlanders, they've trained themselves to rebel.
So maybe what you might do, in this thought experiment, is (1) weed out the most egregious, bigoted and self-righteous control-freaks among each group right up front, and then (2) gradually morph the meeting event into something that attracts the open-minded and sane population.
You might, say, let the people who imagine BarCamp is Way Better than actual Open Space wander off and fly away far, and in the end keep the people who are willing to come see what they can do with each other.
Now of course this is a thought experiment. It's a Central Control Model, and the cabal who planned such a thing in real life would be Illuminati-grade politicians who should be working at the Trilateral Commission, not some little mill town.
But if it plays out that way in the end, because of how group decision-making and community formation happens in real life... well, that would be fun, wouldn't it? Because it happens that the groups of people we like to refer to as "communities" benefit from driving off the most bigoted obstinate individuals among them.
And even though individuals in those communities may not get or plan it that way, it's a natural emergent property they have.
It just works. Sometimes it's better to just try something, and adapt; every time you do, you prune the set of possible alternatives, and you also make some progress towards a goal.
So: Sorry we're not doing it right. Have fun wherever it is you fly off to.
I hope you find what you're looking for there.
5:51PM on Oct 11th 2007 by Bill Tozier
5. I'm not sure I understand the word "commercialized" the way you folks are using it here. Does it mean "with advertising", or "with color graphics" or "with sponsors who pay for the rooms" or what?
Could it be that your first impression of what's happening is less accurate than you imagine?
6:26PM on Oct 11th 2007 by Bill Tozier
6. Bill,
I left a comment on your blog that may explain things a little more specifically for you, and I hope it helps you understand.
The only thing unique to barcamp is the set of attached values. The whole writing-on-the-wall, uncoference style part of the event? Not unique. If you're going to claim to base something on barcamp, then you're claiming the unique part of barcamp (the values).
Otherwise, you're simply throwing an unconference with a camp name (and only the absolute purists are going to care, I personally have no issue with it.) One of your posts/comments seemed to insinuate its geeks being afraid of mainstream folks -- that's simply not the case. You're not the first to get behind a mainstream unconference. In fact, that's been the latest craze.
If we have it wrong, and we are not accurate in our assumptions, feel free to enlighten us. I just request that you do it in straight to the point, non-long winded prose. I don't give enough of a shit to dedicate as much time to this as it takes reading your previous comment ;)
Best,
Alex
11:19AM on Oct 12th 2007 by Alex Rudloff
7. What did that "thought experiment" even stand for?
This conference is pretending to be something that it's not. Getting sponsors to pay for rooms - that's what we had in Orlando, but we chose a space that was appropriate to our projected attendance. The next 'Camp we have in Orlando will need more space or a limited attendance.
Hiring speakers (no matter how "2.0" they may be) and making the price of two of their books part of the registration fee... wait, you lost me at registration fee. Oops!
12:02PM on Oct 12th 2007 by Ryan Price
8. Sorry about the apparent duplication of this comment on my blog. I posted the comment here, did not receive the confirmation email for 3 hours, then decided to blog it instead. Got the confirmation hours later.
Sorry also that it's clear we're not going to make you understand what's happening, our context, or our results. Life will be lessened by that, but it's the way things will be.
I think Ryan doesn't understand that there are two events that are in the same venue: there is an OpenSpace camp, and then there is a talk by an invited lecturer. The same people helped set up both, and so they associated them in their initial copy-editing as if they were one thing, but there is no "keynote at ArbCamp". There is a speech after ArbCamp.
But I don't think it matters to the Regulators, regardless. We will be doing something wrong, if only because it's different, motivated by different forces,and created by different demographics than they're used to. What we call it doesn't mislead the people coming; it misleads you, who have already decided we're wrong.
Pissy old world we live in.
4:33PM on Oct 12th 2007 by Bill Tozier
9. Bill,
An "opensource" camp?
Man, you're an idiot.
Best of luck with your event,
Alex
4:34PM on Oct 12th 2007 by Alex Rudloff
10. An "opensource" camp?
No, actually I wrote "Open Space". As in OST. http://www.openspaceworld.org/ That would be the meeting system that pre-dates FooCamp and BarCamp.
Opensource is something else. You might be surprised: I might have heard of it somewhere, even.
Man, your an idiot.
Alex, so here's the thing. I don't think we're doing very well with this whole Orlando-Ann Arbor outreach effort. Although I'm not 100% convinced you speak for all Orlando, and maybe also I don't really need to go to Disney World any more, so there's hope it'll work out as just a mutual waste of time.
First, I'm just attending ArbCamp. I'm not an organizer, I'm not a marketer, I'm not anybody you need to be mad at or afraid of. I'm a little older than you are, I suspect, but sometimes that doesn't disqualify people from knowing how to type and read and think and stuff.
Why is it such a challenge to talk with you and your clique? And why don't I have this kind of culture clash with the local people who work in the same domain, and with the same tools, you do?
I'm not sure you actually know who I am. We've never met, and I don't imagine you do the same kind of work I do. I haven't run into you at the meetings.
So what makes you think that it's a good thing for you to take that tone towards me?
Second, could you tell me, in a simple way, what would make it all better with you? How would these people here in Ann Arbor, who are definitely going to run an Open Space (NOT BarCamp, not "opensource") event, and are GOING to call it ArbCamp, and are GOING to invite marketers and geeks and people from around here... how will they fix it so you won't be mad about it and throw your weight around online?
I may not be able to do anything, but you're like a patient on House or something: I'd like to understand what makes you so sick, even if it kills you.
So take a minute, and tell me something they might be able to do to keep from pissing you off, personally. I'm serious. Change the name? Can't. Change the explanation? Working on it. Post more useless comments on your blog? I think not; it's not substantially advancing the conversation.
So what, exactly?
And, OK, one more time: Open Space. Not "opensource". And there is, by the way, an apostrophe in "you're an idiot".
Thanks for the wishes of luck. It's enough, even if you added it just to be snide, to let me think you could possibly be fixed.
6:46PM on Oct 12th 2007 by Bill Tozier
11. > No, actually I wrote "Open Space". As in OST.
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/ That would be the meeting system
> that pre-dates FooCamp and BarCamp and UnConferences. It's the
> one that inspired all the rest.
Forgive me, but you're totally missing the point of any and all of this. Go to arbcamp's site, and its "based on barcamp". Go to barcamp's wiki, and you'll find arbcamp listing itself. And if you think it's just me who finds this obnoxious, then, well, I don't even know what to say. I found out about it reading through my own feeds. Hell, Chris Messina, who started friggin' barcamp, sent out a twitter calling out arbcamp.
> Opensource is something else. You might be surprised: I might
> have heard of it somewhere, even.
> Alex, so here's the thing. I don't think we're doing very well
> with this whole Orlando-Ann Arbor outreach effort. Although I'm
> not 100% convinced you speak for all Orlando, and maybe also I
> don't really need o go to Disney World any more, so maybe there's
> hope it'll work out.
I didn't realize that a) I was supposed to be a spokesman for anyone but myself, let alone an entire metro region, or b) I cared about "Ann Arbor" outreach efforts. That's the silliest damn thing I've heard all day.
And did you just try to make a crack about Disney world? Really?
> First, I'm just attending ArbCamp. I'm not an organizer, I'm not
> a marketer, I'm not anybody you need to be mad at or afraid of.
> I'm a little older than you are, I suspect, but sometimes that
> doesn't disqualify people from knowing how to type and read and
> think and stuff.
Why on earth would I be mad or afraid of you? I simply just don't care as much as you think.
> Why is it such a challenge to talk with you and your clique?
> And why don't I have this kind of culture clash with the local
> people who work in the same domain, and with the same tools,
> you do?
Because you speak in long winded, confusing rants instead of clear and concise statements. You're also trying to make this more than it is. "Geeks against mainstream adoption" and "color graphics" and whatever other snarkiness you wish to come up with are all completely off base, silly and have nothing to do with hitching a ride on barcamp's brand.
> I'm not sure you actually know who I am. We've never met, and
> I don't imagine you do the same kind of work I do. I haven't
> run into you at the meetings.
Again.. why the heck do you think I care? You live on "an island of self importance."
> So what makes you think that it's a good thing for you to take
> that tone towards me?
You came on my blog posting snarky comments, and I'm responding. How are you surprised by this? "Shocking," I know.
> Second, could you tell me, in a simple way, what would make it
> all better with you? How would these people here in Ann Arbor,
> who are definitely going to run an Open Space (NOT BarCamp)
> event, and are GOING to call it ArbCamp, and are GOING to invite
> marketers and geeks and people from around here... how will they
> fix it so you won't be mad about it and throw your weight around
> online?
Stop saying it's based on barcamp. Simple.
> I may not be able to do anything, but you're like a patient on
> _House_ or something: I'd like to understand what makes you so
> sick, even if it kills you.
> So take a minute, and tell me something they might be able to
> do to keep from pissing you off, personally. I'm serious.
> Change the name? Can't. Change the explanation? Working on it.
> Post more useless comments on your blog? I think not; it's not
> substantially advancing the conversation.
If you read anyone's actual comments or complaints, I think it'd be obvious -- stop saying its based on barcamp when it shares none of the values of barcamp. Nothing's wrong with someone throwing their own event, but its pretty messed up to take advantage of barcamp's brand when they clearly don't agree with it.
> So what, exactly? And, OK, one more time: Open Space. Not
> "opensource". And there is, by the way, an apostrophe in
> "you're an idiot".
Maybe you should run an internet grammar class instead....
> Thanks for the wishes of luck. It's enough, even if you added
> it just to be snide, to let me think you could possibly be fixed.
I thought I made that pretty clear in my explanations, both on my blog comments and on your own.
Have a great weekend, and seriously.. I can't devote much more time to this discussion. I've said my piece.
Best,
Alex
6:54PM on Oct 12th 2007 by Alex Rudloff
12. OK, even though it's not my place, I went into barcamp.org and edited out the offending comparison. Is it better now?
What kept you from doing that?
7:32PM on Oct 12th 2007 by Bill Tozier
13. Bill,
Because I'm not associated with arbcamp or barcamp. This blog post was me stating my opinion, not looking to babysit.
7:35PM on Oct 12th 2007 by Alex Rudloff
14. um ah wow - what can the barcamp crowd do about such a blatant disregard for the values?
We were discussing similar things at sanmarcosbarcamp. About trademarks and copyrights since eventually things like this happen. It becomes a name - it is known and some jerk is going to exploit that.
I guess the main thing we can do is what we are doing here. make a big enough stink that everyone knows that it is not okay with the community at large. Scare them into knowing we won't stand for it. This post is a great first step...
boing boing anyone?
have you created a digg for this yet?
lets make some noise?
let me know. get messina to twitter a digg post and a bunch of us will follow.
thank you!
10:26PM on Oct 12th 2007 by Silona
15. This might be some progress:
http://www.connectannarbor.com/index.php/arbcamp-is-not-barcamp
Now, what next? There's apparently no mention of "BarCamp" on either the Arborwiki or the announcement page for ArbCamp, except to make it clear that the people who wanted to run the thing have decided in light of this fiasco BarCamp culture is not theirs.
So we learned our lesson, clearly.
7:56AM on Oct 14th 2007 by Bill Tozier