If you’re in, or near, Nairobi you need to get involved with BarCamp Kenya on March 31. Last week I wrote about it, but now things are starting to coalesce. Riyaz Bachani, along with David Kariuki, Eric Magutu and Josiah Mugambi, are getting things put together and there’s a call for speakers and volunteers.
BarCamps are open conferences that are free to attend and that are open for anyone to talk at. I’ve been to a couple and I can tell you that they blow regular conferences out of the water in the amount of networking and ideas discussed.
Things you can do:
- Attend – go sign up here
- Sign up for the mailing list
- Design a (better) logo – above is my try, but I know there are better logo designers out there. For goodness sakes, after all of the replies I got on this post, you should be jumping at this chance for visibility
- Bloggers – this is a GREAT chance to network. BarCamp is not just for tech-heads.
Developers – I can tell you that there is a world of opportunity waiting – just in Kenya itself, much less the rest of Africa and the world. I hope to hear big ideas on what you can do to change Kenya coming out of this event.
Bloggers – This is your chance to mix with each other and also network with those tech guys that can help you out on your own projects. Some of you should be speaking at this event, Riyaz has expressly told me to ask you to do that. Yani, I’m going to be pissed off if I don’t see some blog coverage and a video cast of this event. 🙂
Designers – If you’re not at this event, shame on you. Both bloggers and programmers need your help more than you realize. This is a chance to share ideas and rub shoulders with them.
March 7, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Thx Eric,
I think i’ll just stress again that the BarCamp is a very unusual type of conference … our format will be lightning talks (10-15 mins each) on a vast number of topics – i’ll be updating the WIKI as these are confirmed.
Guys should add themselves to the googlegroups. Also edit the Wiki and put your name in the participants section – AND we’re looking for volunteers/organizers !
And yes – we need bloggers, designers, startups to showcase their work.
March 8, 2007 at 3:44 am
Hmmm… Sounds like fun.
Is there any way a decidedly un-tech cartoonist can participate in this? The tech-talk has completely befuddled me. Editing Wikis, joining googlegroups…
I think I’ll attend just to see what goes on. Can you explain in plain English whether one needs to register? Are there any payments one needs to make? What is the scope of the topics to be discussed?
March 8, 2007 at 6:57 am
Yea, could you give more information. looks like a great thing
March 8, 2007 at 6:57 am
Patrick,
Barcamp’s are FREE to attend, you don’t need to register, but it does help if they know you’re coming so that they can plan for it.
Patrick, you might have more to talk about at this even than you realize. I think a lot of them would be interested in hearing about trying to set up an online t-shirt shop and the hastles that you had from that. What can fellow tech guys in Kenya do about that?
I hope you attend. If you do, fill us in on the details – maybe with a quality cartoon illustration? 🙂
March 9, 2007 at 6:41 am
Will surely mark it in my diary to attend.