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PodCamps Need to Help Others

posted on August 29, 2007

Yesterday on Accident Hash I talked a bit about how I really feel that with the collective power of unconferences happening around the globe that we’ve got to harness that power and use it to help others out more. I was specifically talking on the show about the idea for a PodCamp New Orleans, but this is bigger then that.

What I would love to see is for each event to adopt a cause, charity or something along those lines where attendees can help support the community. I just now read about the PodCamp Philly Rocky Run to Benefit Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia which is exactly what I’m talking about. It is a perfect mix of fun and helping at the same time. I donated the minute I heard about it and now am debating if I want to run the stairs or take pictures of the fun. It’s a hard decision. I also had to instantly e-mail John Wall since I know he’s the biggest Rocky fan I know.

I had some good conversations with people lately about how PodCamps are getting a little redundant. The same people keep going to them and talking about the same things. Collectively I think we all need to push hard to stop doing that. To shatter the echo chamber and make these events about so much more then tips and trick sessions and socializing. I LOVE both of those things, but I want to see everything take it to the next level and extend the community out several circles to include and help more and more people.

My thoughts are not fully formulated and I’m under caffeinated as I write this. But, I know I can’t be the only one thinking this. We need to pull together and reach out to help people. As I help organize PodCamp Boston I’m making it my personal goal to work this concept into the event in some fashion. I challenge every other organizer of a PodCamp or similar event to do so as well.

Would love to know your thoughts.

Update – I’m a tool and totally forgot to mention the great efforts that I know Podcasters Across Borders did this year to raise money and collect books for Kingston’s Central Public School

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Categories: Rambles
  • http://www.TheMShow.com John

    I’m in for $50, first 10 to email me run free compliments of The M Show.

  • http://glitchnyc.com Eric Skiff

    What’s amazing is that last night at the PodCampNYC planning meeting, we were talking about exactly this.

    Much to his credit, John Havens, or lead organizer, is driving the push to do something good for a group outside of our normal participants.

    It’s difficult to choose who to help or what to do to actually make positive change, without taking all of our time and attention away from making Podcamp itself great.

    Kathy King suggested bringing her network of educators in to the event and hosting an all-day hands-on learning room to give them the skills to teach tech, podcasting, and new media to their students.

    I think it’s a great blend of doing what we’re great at, but also helping a group other than ourselves. I also love the “Rocky Run” idea at PodCamp Philly.

    Long story short, I think you’re definitely on to something here – hopefully we’ll be able to make it a reality :)

  • http://www.bobgoyetche.com Bob Goyetche

    This year at Podcasters Across Borders, we asked all attendees to bring a children’s book. The books were then donated to a local school, which made the students really happy, the people attending really happy, and great positive karma was generated.

    I’m not sure what the “next-level” for these conferences could be. At some point, these events are defined as podcasting events, and as such will attract those people. The “next-level” might be something like a “online presence camp” where podcasting is a component of it or something, but the danger is at some point it’ll get too broad to be a single event.

    For PAB, the conference target audience is essentially podcasters, so the echo-chamber effect is not entirely by accident. People appreciate the opportunity to interact with people they normally see/hear online. Where else but at events like PAB, podcamps, etc can one be reasonably sure to walk up to a stranger and discuss podcasting and be understood?

    For us, donating books (and money) and bringing a positive non-podcast experience to the host community was a great experience, one we’re sure to repeat or expand on next year.

  • http://chrishambly.com Chris Hambly

    Key thing you have said for me CC is this:

    “The same people keep going to them and talking about the same things. Collectively I think we all need to push hard to stop doing that. To shatter the echo chamber and make these events about so much more then tips and trick sessions and socializing.”

    That is RIGHT on the money, and self-perpetuating communities are so NOT the way forward, as much as I love so many of the people in ones such as podcamps.

    Any “organised” community is always in danger of becoming incestuous which by its nature can be “exclusive”, (I don’t mean in terms of being on the outside), I mean in terms of modes of operation, or assumptions of practice, which we know is not what it is supposed to be about.

    Chris

  • http://achubbucks.pbwiki.com Chris Hambly

    I was also going to say I’m lead organising MediaCampBucks here in UK October 20, and I’m trying fairly hard to avoid having “one type” of interest.

    I do not think these things can be too wide, the wider they are the better as far as I am concerned, the more we mix with someone NOT of our community the more reaching we achieve.

    MediaCampBucks07 here:
    http://achubbucks.pbwiki.com

  • http://www.ldpodcast.com Whitney

    I’m psyched about the Rocky Run, and about helping out a great place like CHOP, just a few blocks away from Drexel, where PodCamp Philly is being held.

    The point of Podcamps, from my POV, is to bring the local community and outer-New Media community together. Part of having PC Philly is to energize the local community; it’s been designed to show off different parts of Philly as well, giving people a sense of the place beyond a conference room and coffee. (Every Hotel room and conference center is kinda the same anyway, right?)

    So I look at this as a broader opportunity to develop communities at home and abroad, while taking the time to give back. Even from a talking to sponsors point of view, it’s an outward focus of how can we help them get their message out, while they help us make the event free to all registrants.

    The sessions at PodCamps are awesome, and this is stuff you can’t go take a class on at your local college. That said, the fact that schools like Drexel are excited to have our event there, shows that there’s interest and support for this conference model and what we teach.

    it’s about making new media conferences like new media people- people who want to express their point of view, people who want to do something. the talking is important, the just doing is equally as important.

  • http://b.drewolanoff.com drew olanoff

    Thanks for jumping in so quickly C.C.! You rock :) There’s plenty of stairs to run up and then take pictures. Shoot, I may run up them 10 or 15 times. Especially when we start playing the Rocky music.

    Just pumps me up!!!!

  • http://www.podcastersagainstgenocide.org Melanie Van Orden

    I completely agree with you, CC, and have been thinking about this for some time now. I actually started an “online group” to help spread the word among podcasters about the genocide in Darfur at http://www.podcastersagainstgenocide.org . I just send podcasters updates about what is going on in the movement to end the genocide and tell them what they can do to have a HUGE impact on what is happening in the Sudan.

    A lot of people feel like stopping the genocide is a lost cause, but the “save darfur” movement has already saved hundreds of thousands of lives. If the Podcamps took up this cause, it would significantly add to the amount of lives saved. I am teaching a session at Podcamp Boston about what podcasters can do to help stop the genocide, and it doesn’t take much time! And zero money.

    I hope the Podcamps continue to think about causes that they can support, whether local or international. As members of the new media, podcasters are in a powerful position to make their voices heard and call attention to what they feel is important.