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April 2, 2009

Dry Run at PC

NewBCamp is around the corner - only two weeks away! We're holding the Dry Run at Providence College this Sunday, April 5, 2009, from 9:30am-12:30pm.

Feinstein Academic Center
Providence College
Providence, RI 02918

Google Map of Feinstein Academic Center [maps.google.com]

Hope to see you there to check out the new venue and get your NewB on!

sara


What is a NewBCamp? NewBCamp is a conference - or better yet, an 'unconference' - that brings people together to learn from each other about technology.

Sunday, April 19, 2009
from 9am-3pm

Feinstein Academic Center
Providence College
Providence, RI 02918

Google Map to Feinstein Academic Center [maps.google.com]

The tracks for NewBCamp are the following:

* Social Networking
* Podcasting and Blogging
* Intro to the Machine
* Being Findable

Explain Tracks [newbcamp.com]

This is the NewBCamp wiki. Adam Tucker (@adamjt [twitter.com] on Twitter), Andy Shearer (@ashearer [twitter.com] ) and myself hope it encourages more people to contribute and participate in the February event :)

sara


And NewBCamp at Johnson & Wales University February 8, 2009 is a wrap!

Thanks to all who participated and organized and sponsored and contributed to the event and to this website.

Don't forget to visit the Free Geek Providence website [freegeekpvd.org] for more info on how to volunteer and hear more great news about NewBCamp.
-Update- the Free Geek Providence website is back up - thank you for your patience!

If anyone noticed a guy with a big camera in the back of the room with me in front of it, that was Channel 6. They will be featuring that footage on Channel 6 around 6:30 this evening. Don't miss it!
-Update- We are now New "B" Camp per Channel 6, but hey we got 5 seconds of air time - rock on!

--Update-- Per Mike Sheridan ( TrafficMike [twitter.com] on twitter) Channel 6 got it right at 11pm on Feb. 8. Awesome!

Please leave your feedback here in the form of comments. If you haven't already, subscribe to this site via RSS Feed [newbcamp.com] to get updates regarding pages added to the wiki and new events when we're ready to have the next NewBCamp near you!

sara


February 4, 2009

Guide to NewBCamp

Have questions about logistics, setup, and where's the door to the building? Check out the Guide to NewBCamp [docs.google.com] on Google Docs - and check back for updates!

sara


So I'm a newbie and I read through the presentations and I say wow, is this event really for novices?

Expect to be blown away by how much there is to learn, and DO NOT expect to learn it all at NewBCamp. A single 6 hour event can only show the tip of the iceberg, but what it does show gives newbies a feel for what is out there. Find a friend at NewBCamp who is interested in your progress and will continue to be a guide after NewBCamp. Also, it's important to keep in mind that newbie vs. geek is sometimes an imperfect image. Everyone's a newbie at something, everyone's a geek at something (whether it be Star Wars trivia, American Idol episodes, or python frameworks).

Attend NewBCamp and it's your event. Learn what you can, teach what you can, and don't let that be the end of it.

BTW I'm a complete American Idol newbie and if someone wants to offer a tutorial on understanding Cindy Lauper's decision-making process, I'm all for it ;-)

sara


January 21, 2009

A Thank You to Our Partners

Many wonderful people and organizations are partnering up to bring NewBCamp to the community this year. I had the great opportunity to stand up in front of the Providence Geeks community this evening and share some brief thoughts on what makes NewBCamp distinct. To my regret, I neglected to mention to the audience the who's as well as the what's of NewBCamp. In an effort to make up for that, allow me to give them credit here on the NewBCamp blog.

First of all, Johnson & Wales University and in particular the Dean of the School of Technology Frank Tweedie have helped tremendously to get NewBCamp off the ground. Along with Brian Alves and Josh Manley of the AIGA and the organizing SofT ICE club student members, the flagship NewBCamp at JWU depends on their support. A shout goes out to Michael Berger and the Office of Student Activities, which as a whole takes great care in overseeing every detail of the event, from parking arrangements to wireless access to food to T-shirts. NewBCamp also depends on promotion in the press, which Lisa Pelosi and Maddie Parmenter have managed thoughtfully on our behalf.

Active organizers of NewBCamp are the ones behind the scenes, making the suggestions, joining the conference calls, talking (and tweeting) up the event on the social media circuit. Jeff Pulver in 2008 brought NewBCamp out of obscurity with his debut of Hilary Mason speaking on Pulver TV, and his valued support continues. Christopher Penn of PodCamp and Matthew Ebel teamed up to bring NewBCamp to a crowd of PodCamp goers eager to hear the news in Providence. This year Steve Sherlock of the famed tri-corner hat at PodCamp has been engaging his blog readers as well as committing to help at registration, not to mention scheduling the conference calls. Nate Hutnak of Free Geek Providence has given me the ticklers and reminders I needed to stay on track and keep up energy through relentless meetings, emails, and conversations. His vision and the hard work of all the volunteers at Free Geek Providence have provided a new home for NewBCamp and a platform for its growth.

We have the support of some regulars and organizers of Providence Geeks - Pam O'Hara, Michelle Riggen-Ransom, and Adam Darowski are chief cheermeisters among the BatchBlue folks. Andy Shearer and Adam Tucker have faithfully helped develop and troubleshoot this website since the summer of 2008. Jack Templin and Brian Jepson have hosted me on the RI Nexus blog and at Providence Geeks, lending their respected support.

Finally, NewBCamp is an event that depends on the year round efforts and dedication of companies which make it their business to get involved in the community and make progress happen. I am proud to say these community-minded businesses have chosen to lend NewBCamp their support as chief sponsors. John Cronin of the RI Small Business Development Center, Andy Cutler of Cutler and Company, Katherine Flynn and Stu Freiman of the RI Economic Development Corporation, with Elizabeth Perry and Sherri Carrera of Every Company Counts have each seen the potential of NewBCamp and done their part to make possible this good work which we have in our hearts to do.

sara


The setup for NewBCamp is different from last year. The venue is in a forum, one big room which has a setup of tables. At each table will be a flat screen monitor and cable to hook up your laptop for your visual display (slideshow, exhibits of web pages). JWU will be providing two extra laptops as well, but please don't count on a laptop being provided - if you are presenting please bring a laptop if at all possible.

Each track has a grouping of tables to keep similar topics together. Every table can potentially have a presentation that goes for 35 minutes. The presentation audience is limited by the number of people can fit at a table which is about eight, although as it is an unconference flexibility is fine and we can end up pushing tables together though if one presentation gets a lot of interest.

Up to date info at the Guide to NewBCamp [docs.google.com] and up to date schedule for February 8 at http://www.newbcamp.com/schedule/feb/ [newbcamp.com]

8:00-9:00 am Organizers arrive and set up

9:00-9:30 am Registration opens

9:30-9:45 am UnKeynote address

9:45-10:00 am First Group-wide Presentation

10:00-10:35 am First Break-out Session at tables

10:35-10:45 pm Break

10:45-11:00 am Second Group-wide Presentation

11:00-11:35 am Second Break-out Session at tables

11:35-11:45 pm Break

11:45-12:00 pm Third Group-wide Presentation

12:00-12:35 pm Third Break-out Session at tables

12:35-12:45 pm Break

12:45-1:00 pm Fourth Group-wide Presentation

1:00-1:35 pm Fourth Break-out Session at tables

1:35-2:00 pm Closing Remarks

2:00-5:00 pm After event meetup for lunch and networking

sara


January 18, 2009

YouTube Video Challenge

Coming to NewBCamp and have a webcam and 10 seconds? Film yourself saying "Because it's fun" or "Why am I coming to NewBCamp - because it's fun" with the optional "darn it" at the end and upload it to http://www.youtube.com/groups_addvideos?name=newbcamp [youtube.com] . We will be splicing these together and creating one clip that promotes NewBCamp - because it IS fun darn it!

sara


January 8, 2009

NewBCamp Afterparty

Plans have been finalized for the NewBCamp afterparty - AS220 [as220.org] will be the venue and pizza will be served, free of charge. For your entertainment, any and all assembled will be welcome to join in a mass game of Werewolf [groups.google.com], a role-playing game organized by the venerable master moderator, Matt Gillooly.

February 8, 2009 Sunday
2pm-5pm


AS220
115 Empire Street
Providence, RI 02903


Hope to see you there!

sara


December 29, 2008

Dry Run

If you are an organizer or a presenter at NewBCamp, I heartily recommend coming to the dry run this upcoming Sunday at the Pepsi Forum. Get a chance to see the setup, shake out any bugs, and meet fellow organizers and presenters!

January 18, 2009
9am-noon

Pepsi Forum
Johnson & Wales University
8 Abbott Place Park
Providence, RI 02903

sara


December 15, 2008

Welcome to NewBCamp

What is a NewBCamp? NewBCamp is a conference - or better yet, an 'unconference' - that brings people together to learn from each other about technology. The inaugural NewBCamp was held February 23, 2008, and the next NewBCamp will be:

Sunday, February 8, 2009
from 9am-2pm


Pepsi Forum
8 Abbott Place Park
Johnson & Wales University
Providence, RI 02903


The tracks for this year are the following:

  • Social Media/Web Development
    Graphic Design/Art
    Hardware/Assembling
    Software/Security

Explain Tracks [newbcamp.com]

This is the NewBCamp wiki. Adam Tucker (@adamjt [twitter.com] on Twitter), Andy Shearer (@ashearer [twitter.com]) and myself hope it encourages more people to contribute and participate in the February event :)

Map of NewBCamp location [maps.google.com]

NewBTeam