Unconferencing differs from traditional conferences as attendees set the agenda and participate actively in discussions. Open space technology is often used, and the Law of Two Feet applies. Foo Camp is a popular invite-only unconference.
A typical conference might last a weekend, or maybe even a week. It usually has a defined agenda, guest speakers, presenters and opportunities for forum discussions. If you attend a conference, unless you are presenting, your primary role is to listen to lectures or watch presentations and perhaps participate in some discussion about the focus of the conference or specific lectures and presentations. Evenings at conferences tend to be devoted to socializing, giving people time to meet other like-minded people in a much freer way. This method of conferencing differs greatly from unconferencing, a term first used in 1998 for a meeting of XML developers that would take a very different form.
Rather than having a specific agenda, conference attendees are expected not to participate much more actively in the event. They must set the agenda on the first day of the conference, be ready to make their own presentations, and be ready to discuss, defend, or work on their ideas in a given industry. So far, most types of conference calls have been carried out in the so-called “geek community”, the group of programmers and IT and technology professionals. While times, location, and perhaps times of day at a conference can be set in advance, virtually nothing else is, which for many people is a considerable relief and advantage.
When a freeform conference starts, people write what they would like to discuss or what they would like to present. An agenda for the weekend is then decided upon, usually with a significant break for small group discussions. Some people post ideas they might like on a deconference ahead of time on the Internet. Others are much freer in nature. Many people claim that after using conference conferencing methods, you will never want to attend a traditional conference again. Others, however, take a more balanced approach and see important applications of tradition conferencing and non-conferencing.
There may be certain rules that govern inconferences. Among these is the very common law of two feet. Essentially, this rule states that people who don’t learn or contribute to the discussion should find a discussion they can learn from by taking their “two feet” elsewhere. There are certain terms associated with inconferencing. For example, bees or cross-pollinators can move from one group to another, spreading discussion ideas as they go.
Many unconferences adopt what is called open space technology (OST) to run conferences. The technology is a bit tricky and simply means a method to run a freeform conference. OST starts with the Law of Two Feet and ends with more Buddhist principles. For example, people accept that the participants are exactly who they are supposed to attend, that everything that happens in a conference is what it should have happened, that unconferences start at the right time, which is always when it starts, and also end at the right time. , when it’s over. When people adopt OST attitudes, there is free-flowing openness designed to help people be better and brighter.
One of the most popular unconferences is Foo Camp, but it differs slightly from other types of unconferences in that it is by invitation only. OST unconferences are generally open to anyone who wants to participate, but may set a limit on the total number of people involved. Many suggest that if you want to meet some of the big names in your industry, try looking for an inconference to attend. These less formal events, which are often much less expensive, often attract the great minds in each industry because they can be much more interesting to attend than the standard conference. At a minimum, topics are not predetermined, creating unpredictable and unknown opportunities for learning.
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