OPINION: Thom Shannon of Glow New Media discusses the geek heaven that is Barcamp

Dec 4 2008 by Aaron Boland, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL has got a really vibrant new media community that punches well above its weight in the industry. ŠBarcamp Liverpool is an opportunity for us to display that work to a national and international audience.

ŠBarcamp is being held at the Novas Contemporary Urban Centre this weekend.

ŠThe idea is that it’s an “unconference” – it’s geek heaven, really. ŠIt’s an opportunity for Šdevelopers to get together and share information and developments.

Š It’s really up-to-the-minute. People working in the industry’s trenches will be giving their opinion on what’s happening right now. It’s interacting like this that keeps the internet moving as fast as it does.

ŠIt’s great news for Liverpool that it’s got a Barcamp. It’s attracted some great sponsors as well, including Microsoft and Yahoo.

I went to the first Barcamp in the UK a couple of years ago at Yahoo, in London. ŠSince then, they’ve been held at other companies, including BT and Google, and in cities across the country.

ŠThe idea is that the community comes together and runs the event itself. It’s controlled by the people who are there. We don’t have speakers being distant and aloof, and a set schedule that everyone has to stick to.

ŠIt’s a great opportunity to mingle with people from companies such as Google and Microsoft, and it’s really productive. They’re great for networking. Š

ŠFrom a technological point of view, there’s a lot of knowledge there and a lot of really smart people talking about things they’re enthusiastic about.

ŠYou can learn a lot and make some useful contacts. I’ve helped bring in some sponsorship from Microsoft and Yahoo for this event through contacts I’ve made at past events.

ŠThe success of this event will be very much down to people’s enthusiasm. Š We call ourselves geeks – we don’t see it as a negative term. Š

We’re people who are really enthusiastic about this technology.

ŠWe really enjoy our work – it’s a hobby, not a job.

For more information about Barcamp, visit www.barcampliverpool.com

THOM SHANNON is a director at Liverpool’s Glow New Media