Hoverboots Not Required

What does one pack when attending a “Podcamp” in the year 2010? Shiny silver spaceboots? Freeze-dried chipped beef? A vacuum-sealed packet of Tang?

Well, all of the above, if one is so inclined. But the Podcamp I’m referring to, despite the spacey-sounding name (“Open the pod bay door, Hal”), doesn’t actually take place in zero gravity, and you don’t really need to bring anything but yourself, your curiosity, and maybe a few pithy PowerPoint slides.

Podcamp Halifax 2010, which will be held at the Alderney Gate branch of the Halifax Public Libraries on January 24th, is an all-day “unconference” – an open, participatory, user-generated series of workshops for anyone interested in social media. Bloggers, podcasters, social networkers, and any folks who are curious about new media are encouraged not only to attend, but to create a presentation on a subject of their own choosing.

It’s sure to be an interesting day, because I can say from experience that Halifax has a pretty colourful social networking community. I follow a small army of Halifax businesspeople, community organizers, journalists, marketing professionals, artists and musicians on Twitter, and many of them are planning Podcamp presentations, on subjects ranging from “So You Want to Buy a Blogger” to “Social Media – You’re Doing it Wrong!”

Ryan Deschamps is one of the Podcamp’s organizers, and he explained to me that the event is organized according to the rules of “open space,” which follows these four basic principles: whoever comes are the right people; whatever happens is the only thing that could have; whenever it starts is the right time; and when it's over, it's over.

“There's just one law, usually referred to as the Law of Two Feet,” Deschamps told me. “‘If at any time during our time together, you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet and go somewhere else where you may learn and contribute.’ It's a self-organizing system. You're responsible for your own learning.”

That seems like a radical – and may I add, refreshing – departure from any conference I’ve ever attended. Deschamps says the open style of organization creates an ideal environment for people like himself who prefer a little more engagement with their education. “I like to have conversations. I prefer not to be in a presentation where I'm told what is right. I'd rather go head-to-head with that person; I find those kinds of things more meaningful,” he says.

Deschamps, because he is also the Alderney Gate library’s E-learning manager, has been instrumental in bringing the library onboard as a partner for this volunteer initiative. “I think the library got involved so it could show that this is a place where people can build connections. Halifax has a strong, strong online community, and I think there is a need for these people to gather so they can innovate and learn through one another,” he says.

Everyone is welcome to attend – whether they’re new to social media or they’ve been networking since the days before dogs and cats had their own Facebook pages. Participants are asked to register in advance (you can find the link via podcamphalifax.ca), and although this year’s Podcamp is already fully booked, Deschamps advises anyone who is interested to add his or her name to the waitlist, because he’s hoping to find more space.

And despite the fact that there will be no weightlessness or surly artificial intelligence, I’m looking forward to meeting many of the folks from the Halifax Twitterverse in person. I may pack my hoverboots just in case.