Tick. Tock. BarCampMilwaukee, 02 - 03 Oct 2010

Tick, Tock. Tick, Tock.

The barcamp clock is Ticking. And Tocking...

If you don't already have BarCampMilwaukee on your calendar for October 2nd and 3rd, take out your smartphone, Daytimer, Google Calendar, Moleskine or wet clay tablet, and reserve part or all of those two days for participating in one of the most enjoyable technology events of 2010.

The original barcamp was organized in only six days and ended up with 200+ participants, but that was in the San Francisco area. And Milwaukee has a lower population density of connected tech people than San Francisco.

Because Milwaukee doesn't have an actual critical mass of people who will actively promote and participate in barcamps, we need to intentionally work to create a virtual critical mass of those types of people in the Milwaukee area and in Wisconsin and the midwest.

"What the heck is a barcamp?", you say.

For background info, check out the above links for the original barcamp and for BarCampMilwaukee, one of Wisconsin's technology unconferences. Read the Wikipedia entry for barcamp or unconference.

If you want to involve your kids or other kids in technology, bring them. And read about KidsCamp for BarCampMilwaukee.

If you have questions you want to discuss with a live person, contact me at bwaldron (ATT) gmail [dott] com. I can answer your questions or maybe connect you with someone closer to you if you live in Milwaukee, Madison or somewhere other than the Fox Valley.

The price of BarCampMilwaukee is right. Free!!

(Sponsors are invited to contact me or the Milwaukee barcampers via info@web414.com or the webform at http://barcampmilwaukee.org/contact.)

The main thing to remember about a barcamp is that it is participant-driven. There are no 'attendees,' only 'participants' who want to actively share what they know about using or making technology and to learn what others are sharing at barcamp. You will personally make the barcamp enjoyable by participating in it. You will make it even more interesting and worthwhile by encouraging others to participate in it.

For anyone reading this who thinks BarCampMilwaukee is a good idea, I have two requests.

1. Sign up today, then participate in BarCampMilwaukee on October 2nd/3rd.
2. Promote BarCampMilwaukee by inviting your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and random strangers to participate in the barcamp. And promote it by writing about it on your blog, in your tweets, on your YouTube videos, on your local tv or radio, in your local paper and buy Google ads for it. Also get other people to write about it, talk about it, put up billboards announcing it and buy Google ads for it. (But localize those Google ads so you spend your money effectively...)

See you at BarCampMilwaukee on October 2nd or 3rd!

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