That's how it started, a monster I may have helped create. Well, I intend to do so again. Jim responded to the discussion with, "You’re all maniacs! And if you all are serious about bavacon, I’ll have my people call your people and we’ll sort out a figure for my appearance. It’s gonna be big, and I ant a personal assistant and a driver, and I have a special menu as well. Additionally, you’ll each have to write a post for me, 500 words or more, explaining why the bavacon is the best idea you have ever read on the internets." So, I'm writing a post, at least 500 words, explaining why Bavacon is the best idea I've ever read about on the internet. Strangely enough, at the moment, I think it might be true.
First I shall share my comment which might have triggered this string of events.
"Might it be possible to arrange a digital conference thing with no physical location? A mash-up of sorts using different digital communication tools? AV chats, chat room discussions, feeds and more through a portalesque webpage to the individual locations? If needed I have a domain that would work well for this, and this goes right along with my plans for it. Unfortunately I don’t have the hosting or know-how to do that, or I would.
Kinda makes me think of the live twitter feed Downes had displayed during a presentations you told me about, and other such presentations I’ve come across. If some of us could pull that off, it might be just what we need to give more people access to the great events that go on.
As a person who doesn’t have the option to go to any of those events, this is a dream of mine. If I can’t go to the event, I’d like the event to come to me."
So why might Bavacon be the greatest idea I've read about on the internet?
First is the timing. With the economy problems, travel budgets are shrinking. The technologies to be used are easily accessible and widely varied. People are taking a serious interest in education and distance education. That interest is starting to wane due to other pressures. So, having a digital conference, possibly with a physical location, could start a wave of accessibility to learning conferences. With some interest in pushing the conference model into the Web 2.0 and other interests in improving conferences, now could very well be the best time for such an experiment
Second is the draw. The Bava is a collection of creations by Jim Groom, who has plenty of contacts and could likely draw a crowd. That means the first event could be a big success. That would increase the chances of other conferences following suit. It also means that the word would spread, where if I were to try to do this there wouldn't be the draw to make it work.
Third is the accessibility. Jim is a serious advocate of accessibility in learning, be it in tools, materials, opportunities or software. So I don't doubt he would try to make the Bavacon accessible to the masses. This also came out of a discussion on not being able to attend conferences and events, so it isn't just Jim's ideals. It's also the direction this thing started in.
Fourth is the potential. This is where it becomes important. The timing of this could make this a big event in the learning circles. The draw of him and his contacts could add to the bigness of the event. An accessible learning conference would mean that teachers, educators, students and the masses could attend. Together that makes for a potentially huge event where students, teachers and policy makers can attend and possibly participate. Yet that is just the tip of the ice burg.
Local viewings and discussions are a possibility. In a single chat room it is hard to deal with 50 or more people. Yet if you have up to around 20 people in a discussion it is entirely possible.
Live and archived videos, twitter, RSS feeds, live and archived audio, chat rooms and live physical viewings or the video with discussion sessions afterward are all possibilities. That's all interaction and starting conversations.
Lastly, it's possible to do and get real results in a matter of months. Maybe it doesn't have all the brilliance of some things I've read about. Yet it also doesn't require the massive incubation period of other concepts. It's a step in what I consider the right direction.
Maybe this isn't the best post for me to resume blogging with, and maybe it doesn't get across the potential greatness I see in this idea. However, I'm happy with it and the idea. Truly I hope this, or something like it, happens soon so I can attend and be a part of moving things forward.
Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
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2 comments:
Steven,
You turn a goof into a very compelling idea, that's pretty awesome. I think your rationale makes plenty of sense, and the idea that it isn;t guided by an organization, but rather a group of people that want to share makes it even more compelling to me. The question I have is that my pull my be far less than you think. Folks are often caught up in their day-to-day, and a conference, even distributed, mght at times seem too much. The idea may be appealing, but I'm not so sure the numbers will be great. However, I'm not sure this is a problem either if the right people attend, and things get rolling.
So, in the spirit of you taking this nonsense seriously, I'll propose something along these lines as well, using your rationale, which I think is very smart, and we'll see what happens, as long as we both agree not to be too upset if it becomes a dud. Can you live with that?
Thanks for being a maniac.
So says the guy who coined Edupunk. Enough is enough, whether the numbers are small or great. I think you are underestimating the pull you could have if D'arcy, Brian Lamb and some of your other buddies got involved, without the confining limitations of the standard conference. That's an event Downes might well include in OLDaily, and maybe even attend.
I will be satisfied with an attempt, and I have more to say to back up this idea if it would help.
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