BarCamp in Yangon Burma

Barcamp Burma 2010 - Friday, 22 to Monday 25 January 2010

What is a Barcamp?
Barcamp is a technology sharing event where anyone can participate freely and openly. It is a community activity based on collaboration and knowledge sharing, which has become a trend in Web 2.0 era, that is striving to reduce the knowledge gap between peers and between professionals and non-professionals. It is not an event where the rest of you have to listen to one person talking, but an event where you will be able to express yourself in topics concerning related fields, and therefore, will be able to meet and talk with many people. It is not like a seminar, where the direction goes from one to many, but will be going from many to many.

Barcamp Yangon
Barcamps are usually named after the place where the event is held. Many countries have held barcamps, and are still holding such events. However, this barcamp will be the first to be held in Myanmar. Since we haven’t held such conferences before, you can say that this will be our first conference. Starting from this, other states and divisions around the country may hold their own barcamps in the future. Anyone who is interested can attend this Yangon Barcamp. Enthusiasts and professionals within the country as well as from broad will be here at this event.

Our Aim
* Target youths
* To increase good practices such as technology and knowledge sharing
among youths
* To be able to collaborate with peers with same interest and figure
out how to use such technology for the good of many
* To highlight how to use internet in an effective way
* To increase internet user population in the country to a whole new level

Organization
With the permission of Ministry of Post & Telecommunication, and sponsored by Myanmar Computer Professionals Association, Barcamp Yangon will be organized by Barcamp Organizers from various sections in the IT Industry within the country. Wireless internet will be available for the two-day event, which will be sponsored by Redlink Company. Barcamp is not under the direct control of anyone, and there will only be organizers who will be responsible for the success of this event. In order for Barcamp to be successful, everyone who attends this event will have to participate wholeheartedly. Currently, we have set up groups of organizers for Barcamp Yangon. Volunteers are still needed for the successful holding of this event.

Barcamp Style
Barcamp is not a seminar. It is more independent and have more warmth. Those who will hold presentations in this event may or may not have prepared their presentations, and can be a spur-of-the-moment presentations. If you suddenly thought of a good topic to discuss while looking at the list of topics that others will be discussing, you can register your topic at “Topic Registration” and just post it up on the noticeboard. Therefore, you will have to persuade the audience to attend your discussion, which can actually be fun! Some announce that they will treat their audience with snacks, so they would have to prepare snacks for everyone. Some gives souvenirs and others pass out brochures. You cannot predict that everyone who come to Barcamp will be interested in your topic of discussion. You will need to keep in mind that there would also be other discussions in other rooms just like yours. It will not be the same as a seminar where only one person will be talking. There would be 4 people who would be talking about 4 different topics in 4 different rooms. If their topic and their public attraction is better than yours, there will be no audience for your discussion. That is why you would need to persuade the audience using the techniques mentioned above. It is necessary for you to advertise about your topic of discussion so that your audience will be aware of it. However, please keep in mind that this is not a competition.

Who will be Attending Barcamp Yangon
The first Barcamp Yangon will be based on Information Technology, so it will be attended by anyone who is related to IT. Since this is the first of its kind in Myanmar, it would also be attended by people from other parts of the country. Professionals from other countries will also be here for this event. Actually, Barcamp is not only for IT-related events. There are also other camps such as “book camp” or “health camp”. After evaluating the first Barcamp experiences, there would be other kinds of barcamps all over the country. It has been estimated that more than 1000 people will be attending Barcamp Yangon.

Source: Transiting

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