My "Vacation" To BarCamp

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Added: Mon Sep 24th 5:27pm
Posted in: Technology

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It's hard to tear me away from the television on Sundays … football, you know … but this past weekend, I went to a unique event called BarCamp Orlando. It was billed as a get-together for techies, a chance for people to get together to share ideas, technology and more. Jackie, Bill, Marc, James and Pat also went (they're all GB Staffers … you can find their profiles on the site!), and despite the pouring rain outside the bar where BarCamp was held, there was a pretty good turnout.
But I quickly learned … I was in the minority. I was one of the few people who didn't bring at least one piece of equipment with me - a laptop, an iPhone, etc. In fact, I had a (gasp) reporter's notebook, and wrote down notes by hand, unlike the rest of the group that blogged the experience by keyboard - often live, uploading articles and pictures as they sat in the audience.
Of the 175 or so people who attended BarCamp, Jackie and I were two of approximately four girls … and the other two seemed to fit in. One even walked by us at the start of the event and said "this is so exciting, look at all the geeks!"
So, with all that said … here is why BarCamp reminded me of a trip to Europe.

1. I didn't speak the language.
From the minute we walked into BarCamp, it was clear that we had crossed some type of language lines. I didn't even understand our name tags - I'm sure what was written at the top - "all your base are belong to" - was funny or clever … I just didn't get it. And that was just the beginning. From words like OpenMoko to Drupal, Scala to cache, and Erlang to clustering to UBUNTU … I was lost. But just like my trips to Paris and London, I knew that I was in a place of culture. So I was not overwhelmed - I was in awe! Clearly, the people around me were much smarter than me, and ahead of the curve even in their own industries. So just as you might in a museum or lecture, I sat back … and took it all in.

2. My feet hurt.
The event started at 1pm, and we arrived a few minutes early. But it wasn't early enough. By the time we walked into the room, all of the seats were taken - even in the overflow room - and we were stuck standing against the wall. I wasn't sure of the dress code before arriving, so after consulting with Jackie, I went with jeans, a dressy shirt, and high heels. The heels did me in. I should have gone with sneakers or at least low heels. I would have been more comfy, and as it turns out … I would have fit right in. This was also a lesson I learned after my first day in London (which, by the way, was my first day ever in Europe) - no matter how cute you want to look in pictures, wear sneakers and don't let anyone take a wide shot with their camera.

3. There was a lot to see but not a lot to do.
This is meant in the nicest way possible. Clearly, a lot of planning went into this event, and I have to admit … it was easy to register, easy to find and very accepting, even to this rookie. But it was a series of presentations - some more interesting than others. There were a few question and answer sessions, but this was primarily a time to sit (or stand, as I already established), listen, and appreciate. In Europe, I found that most of my time was spent seeing things, too. Like great art. And famous churches. And while there was a lot (a LOT) of walking during my overseas trip, it was mostly walking from one place to another … to see more neat things.

4. It rained … a lot.
Jackie lives near the restaurant that hosted BarCamp, so we decided to meet at her house and walk over. That seemed like a great idea, until the skies opened up. We didn't fit under her small umbrella, but we did our best. So when we arrived at BarCamp, we were each half soaked - the half that didn't make it under the cover. The rain also made for a soggy time in Europe, and the people I talked to both in Paris and back home say … that's pretty typical. In my pictures from BarCamp, I am drenched. In my pictures from Paris, I am drenched.

5. Everywhere you looked, someone was using a camera.
Now, to be fair … I was one of those people. The GB crew had a still camera, and a video camera … and we walked all over the place, getting good shots and interviewing people about their experience. But it all reminded me of the tourists that mill about on all European streets, trying to document their trip.

I could continue, but you get the picture. It was a great experience (BarCamp … although Europe was too) and I'm really glad I went. I didn't learn a whole lot, but I didn't expect too. That's why we brought our own GB geeks with us. They translated the presentations for us, just like they do on a daily basis here at headquarters. They are the reason the site runs so well, and if you ever have a problem, please don't hesitate to let us know! Our geeks will get on the case.