Please don't do a DConf 2018, consider alternatives

[Adam D. Ruppe]

On Tuesday, 2 October 2018 at 14:49:31 UTC, bachmeier wrote:
> I believe it would be a mistake to drop DConf.

What about we design a DConf that focuses on interactive 
collaboration instead of sitting passively in a room watching 
someone talk over a slideshow?



When Joakim talked about this the last time, I was just getting 
home from a work trip that got 30 people from the company - who 
usually work online - together in person. We had very few talks 
in the style of old DConf, and instead we would do a group 
introduction thing, then usually break off into smaller 
(randomized) work groups to progress a solution to the problem 
presented in the talk, then get back together as a whole to 
discuss it. (Etc.; there were a few different styles we tried, 
but most of them basically followed this basic idea.)

BTW another thing we did is the whole agenda was set up ahead of 
time, and there were some pre-reading we could do on the flights 
there, so we arrive already familiar with the ideas and might 
have some thoughts in mind already. This is analogous to putting 
the talks on Youtube first, then talking about it/working on it 
in person.


That also happens to be what most people say they like most about 
DConf... but at DConf, it happens after-hours, since the main 
event is all one talker presenting a powerpoint while everyone 
else <strike>surfs the internet</strike> listens intently. At my 
work meeting, the whole thing was designed around this in-person 
interaction.

That is what Joakim is talking about - changing the main event to 
be more like the after-hours stuff everyone loves so much, to 
actually use all the time to maximize the potential of in-person 
time.