Updates to Podcamp Philly!

Podcamp Philly is less than two weeks away, and the organizing team is scrambling to make sure Podcamp/SearchCamp is a fanatastic experience for all of you who are attending.    Please check back here often for the latest updates- we will also be sending you some notices directly through eventbrite, so if  you haven't heard anything, please check here- the email may be getting caught in your spam filter.

Things to remember:

1. Podcamp/Searchcamp is a new media event.  This means you can take pictures and record anything that happens at Podcamp Philly; it also means that anything you may say and do may be recorded and end up on the web.  So bring your cameras, computers, audio recorders and the like and have a good time!  Just remember that Google also finds everything, so before you wear that "I hate my boss" t-shirt, keep in mind he may be watching.

2. We will have one PC Lab and One Mac Lab open for your use as a Bloghaus.  This means while we are still working on wifi access for everyone, there will be computer/net access for everyone who needs it through the labs.  This also means if you want to upload large files, the lab may be a faster way to do it than through the wifi connections.

3.  The Schedule is Subject to Change-  In the next few days, we will be publishing a preliminary schedule of all the sessions people have signed up to present.  If you want to know about something that isn;t there, drop us an email, and we'll see if we can find someone to present it.  Or present something yourself- the best thing about Podcamp is it's open format.  To that end, we will also have one room dedicated for "open sessions" that people can sign up for, bar-camp style, the day of the event.

4. The Power of the Unconference is that You get Out What You Put in. Unlike many conferences, Podcamp and other unconferences work best when everyone participates.  The Unconference was founded on the principal that the collective intelligence of the audience far outweighs that of the presenters, so please- ask questions, add comments, and participate in sessions.  We do ask that you be respectful of others, and exercise the Law of Two feet and leave any session that you aren't getting anything out of rather than heckle the presenter, but participation is key. 

5. Getting to Know You.  If you want to learn about new media or get to know the people who work with it every day, there's no substitute for coming to an event like Podcamp and getting a chance to meet them and talk to them in person.  The people I met and the friends I made at the first Podcamp, almost two years ago, have dramatically changed my life and helped me in innumerable ways.  But I had to be there, and be willing to try to talk to strangers, even when I felt shy about it, to get those benefits. 

This also means that you should consider bringing business cards or cards with your name and email on them, so you can easily exchange infromation with people you might want to get to know even better after the conference.  Bonus points for including your social networking contact information on facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, etc.  This way, you can then extend the conversation you have on site after the weekend is over.

In the end, the organizers of Podcamp Philly put on the event because we get a kick out of sharing new media and what we've learned with others, and meeting new people who help us think differently about what we do and expand our horizons.  Social Media is the new golf course, the "new boys network" so to speak, where you can meet and socialize with people you might never meet otherwise, and who just might change the way you do your job.   

And this year, we have the pleasure of helping out Science Leadership Academy, (SLA) a Philadelphia public highschool, with a focus on science, technology and entrepreneurship, meaning that we get to help out our community while having fun and learning.  All proceeds from admissions to Podcamp Philly go to the Science Leadership Academy to help out with their technology and  one on one laptop program.  In a world where 49% of kids in urban areas are  dropping out,  SLA is a shining example of how engaged teachers make engaged students, prepared to take on a different world than when I was in highschool, that's for sure.

Thanks to everyone who has signed up for Podcamp Philly- besides the benefits you'll get out of the weekend, the added benefit will be helping kids, and that's part of the message of community we want to share with everyone.