Have you been longing for more Ohio-based THATCamp fun? Well, wait no more! THATCamp returns to Columbus in 2012 as THATCamp OSU.

Learn more at: osu2012.thatcamp.org/

Much has happened in the intervening months since THATCamp Columbus was held.  This past weekend saw another successful regional camp in Great Lakes THATCamp, there have been announced upcoming camps in London and Paris, and yesterday the Center for History and New Media announced that Amanda French would be taking on a new role as Regional THATCamp Coordinator in order to “assist local organizers with whatever aspects of planning and hosting a regional THATCamp (logistics, technology infrastructure, application procedures, publicity, evaluation, etc.) they require, making it vastly easier and more cost-effective to establish and maintain a new regional THATCamp.”  It looks like CHNM will also be providing support for regional camp websites, as well as “micro-fellowships” for younger attendees.  For more information on today’s announcement, check out Tom Scheinfeldt’s post at Found History, as well as the new section for Regional Camps at THATCamp.org.  But putting all this great news aside for the moment, the real reason for today’s post is to follow up with some final notes and impressions about THATCamp Columbus as a whole.

For those of you who completed our post-event feedback survey, thanks very much.  Without getting into excruciating detail, we do have some quick results to share.  In general, it appears that the event was perceived to be a success.  We received plenty of positive feedback about Jim and Erin, the organizers/emcees, as well as for the facility, which was provided at no cost by Columbus State Community College.  CSCC did a great job getting us set up, were quick with support needs, and were extremely gracious with our last minute requests.  Thanks again to the staff at CSCC, especially Paul Boaz!

All respondents commented positively on the unconference model.  For example:

“I liked the flexibility of the overall program.  I think that that allowed an authentic dynamic to develop among the attendees.”

“I was truly amazed at how the structure of the unconference emerged organically on the first morning, thank in large part to the careful — but flexible — planning of the organizers.”

Further, several people commented on the benefits of having a “collaborative” and “cross-disciplinary” audience.  Most importantly, many of you stated that you found the event not only enjoyable but also professionally and intellectually engaging.  Many campers stated that as a result of attendance they would be incorporating new ideas, people, or technologies into either existing and planned projects.

But there is still room for improvement.  Not surprisingly, the catered food was acceptable to most but not especially wonderful and there were one or two glitches in the (generally excellent) wi-fi.  Some noted that they had trouble pinning down the exact location of the event.  Others thought we could have done a better job of publicizing the event in the weeks and months before the registration deadline, and one suggested we reach beyond the usual humanities crowd to bring journalists and others “wrestling with new media projects” into the discussion.  These are all things we will work to improve upon.  (We have our own list as well since we know that you all are far too generous to mention all of our flaws.)

A few people were very clear about their distaste for all things Twitter, feeling that it was impersonal and even “elitist.”  There is some validity to the claim that using Twitter as a venue for meaningful discourse is clearly limited (the old “140 characters” argument) and that it is not for everyone.  We were aware of this argument (and many people’s generally negative perceptions of the service) going in and, although we did encourage campers to join and interact on Twitter, we viewed Twitter as just one way among many in which participants could interact.  On the other hand, we did see plenty of tweets coming out of the sessions and saw some clear interest both inside and outside the conference walls from the swelling ranks of THATCamp and Digital Humanities “twitterati.”  It is notable though that THATCamp Columbus was markedly less “tweet-centric” than most other regional and national camps.

There was another recurring concern we heard not only in our feedback but in the run up to the event and during the first hours: almost everyone was anxious about the schedule; particularly, they were worried about how it would work and when they would be presenting.  From our perspective this is one of the hallmarks of THATCamp.  It’s not that we want to make you sweat (okay, it is a little bit of that), it’s that this serves a few actual purposes.  For one, it keeps people from “showing up to present” and then leaving – something that really detracts from the quality of larger academic conferences.  But more importantly, it helps set an exciting, informal and conversational tone at the outset and encourages unexpected connections between people and ideas.  We did our very best to arrange the schedule in anticipation of those connections (for example, never scheduling one “technical session” in conflict with another) and we were almost able to accomplish that.  Nevertheless, there were inevitably campers faced with tough choices during some session slots.

Overall, we are really pleased with the turnout for THATCamp Columbus and with the quality of the participants and their presentations.  Happily, most attendees expressed interest in attending another THATCamp (whether regional or national) and found their participation to be relevant and beneficial to their personal, academic and/or professional goals.  We had a great time and hope that was the case for all campers (not just survey respondents).  Thanks once again to to all attendees and to CSCC, the History Department at Cleveland State University, the graduate students and staff at the CSU Center for Public History + Digital Humanities, the Ohio State University Goldberg Center, and the Ohio Humanities Council.

As always, keep your ears to the ground for news about the latest regional and national THATCamp events by checking in on thatcamp.org and thatcampcolumbus or by following @THATCamp and @THATCampCbus.  And of course, feel free to drop us a line anytime in the comments or at thatcampcolumbus@gmail.com.  We welcome further comments, suggestions, and ideas.

Jim and Erin

UPDATE: By request from @BenWBrum, here’s a link to our rudimentary budget sheet!  We need to double check our donation amounts so if you’re interested check back or drop us a line.

Hey, THAT Campers, looks like we’ll be meeting at India Oven tonight at 7:30pm.

Here’s a link to India Oven’s website

Here’s a link for directions

And here’s the address: 427 East Main Street, Columbus, OH 43215-5349

Please leave a message in the comments or twitter (@thatcampcbus) so we can confirm the number who will be joining us.

Acceptances for THATCamp Columbus have been sent!  We’ve got a wonderful mix of people and are looking forward to a great gathering of humanities folks on January 15th-16th, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio.  For you stragglers, we’ve reserved just a few extra spots and some more could open up due to cancellations, but you’ll need to get those apps in right away!  For those of you that have been accepted already, here’s a quick recap of the email you should have already received.

The steps below will get you started with travel, networking, brainstorming and community building.

Step 1: RSVP
Take 30 seconds (literally) right now to RSVP.

Open the RSVP form

We really need to know if you are unable to attend so we can give your spot to another worthy applicant. We also need to know if you have any dietary restrictions, whether you will be using the hotel block we reserved, and what size t-shirt you would like, so those questions are included on the form as well.

Please keep in mind that you are expected to attend sessions on both Friday and Saturday.

Step 2: Make your travel arrangements
We’ve reserved a block of rooms at…

Holiday Inn Columbus Downtown-Capitol Square
175 E. Town Street
Columbus, OH 43215.
(614) 221-3281
map | website

We’ll start a thread on the blog to help people connect for room and ride-sharing.  If you need – or want to volunteer – a shared room or ride, please leave your info in the comments.

Hotel shuttles and taxis are available for the two-mile ride to and from the event, as well as to and from the Columbus airport.

Each day’s gathering begins at 8:30am.  Friday’s sessions will be over by 5pm.  We’ll end the Saturday sessions around lunchtime, followed by an open panel discussion to end by 3pm, so plan your return trip accordingly.

Step 3: Twitter
Even if you’re not convinced that Twitter is right for your daily routine, it is actually an important part of THATCamp culture.  There is a thriving community of people who participate from afar by following the #thatcamp hashtag and joining in the conversation before, during, and after the event.  Your fellow campers and their twitter handles (if they have one yet) are listed at thatcampcolumbus.org/campers.  In addition to sharing notes and ideas about your session, this is a good way to connect with your colleagues before we all gather in Columbus.

Step 4: Complete Your Profile
You now have a profile on our site, accessible at: thatcampcolumbus.org/campers.

To retrieve your password, go to the login URL above and choose “Lost Your Password?” and enter the email address you used in your application – a confirmation link will be sent to your email account within a few minutes. Once logged in, you can go ahead and edit your user profile. By filling out your profile, you’ll let others know more about your interests so we can get to business when we meet face-to-face.  We have populated your profile based on your application info, but until you post to the blog (see step 5), only your Twitter profile will be visible.

Wondering why some users have photos, and others don’t?  The website aggregates profile photos using Gravatar, a universal avatar that WordPress and other popular blogging platforms use.  We encourage you to visit gravatar.com and register using the same email address you used to create your THATCamp Columbus profile.  Once you’ve added an avatar, it will be used not only on thatcampcolumbus.org, but whenever you post a comment on a WordPress blog, and will be printed on your name badge.

Step 5: Blog Your Session
Each participant is expected to post a thoughtful description of their session(s) at thatcampcolumbus.org.  Be as comprehensive or as concise as your topic demands.  The point here is to inform others about what to expect from your session.  Campers are encouraged to leave comments on posts that interest them.  Ask questions, make suggestions, share your thoughts, connect with other campers, and feel free to work out impromptu sessions and social gatherings.

Importantly, the blog is also the basis for the scheduling rush that will happen on the morning of Day One.  We will use your blog post to assign a slot in the schedule, combining sessions where appropriate.  Your fellow campers will choose whether or not to attend your presentation based on the information you provide so give them something to work with.

Lastly, please remember that although this is a great opportunity to share your work, we don’t want too much self-promotion in the sessions or on the blog.  That doesn’t mean you cannot discuss your research or project (you can and should!), but we ask that you do so by identifying the larger questions involved, and framing the discussion broadly so that it is as relevant as possible to your colleagues.

We are very much looking forward to meeting everyone at THATCamp Columbus in January.  Do not hesitate to contact us for any reason at all.  We want to hear your comments, questions, and ideas for making this the best event it can be.

A common question for prospective THATcampers is what to propose.  While we offer some general guidelines on our home page, I thought it would be useful to share some of my experiences from this year’s THATcamp at George Mason to perhaps provide some more assistance.

The most important thing I learned about THATcamp proposals, as both a presenter and an audience member, is that interactivity is essential.  No one wants to sit around and be read to, least of all us hip, fast paced Digital Humanists.  The best sessions by far had the feel of an engaging graduate seminar class, with contributions coming from everyone and where there was freedom for even the topic to evolve with the discussion.

Along with this, it cannot be stressed enough that big ideas are welcome at THATcamp.  Even if these ideas, as is often the case, are challenging to define, explain or put into practical terms.  Remember that because these discussions can be free flowing, there is no need to arrive at THATcamp with pre determined conclusions.  Simply asking the interesting question is all that we require.

On the other hand, some sessions were remarkably down to earth and practical.   This was especially true when talking about technicalities, coding, implementation, etc.  Sessions devoted to institutional barriers facing the Digital Humanities and how to provide Digital Humanities training provide examples of topics that encompass both “big ideas” and practical strategies.  The point is, while “big ideas” are encouraged, practicality and pragmatism are also important components to many excellent THATcamp proposals.

Finally, I would like to offer a word of caution.  While it is both natural and acceptable to talk about personal projects, its very important that presenters do not turn their sessions into an advertisement or infomerical for themselves, their institutions or even their (probably very interesting) Digital Humanities pet projects.  Thus, instead of basing a proposal on “I am doing this, and its really neat. . .” try “I’m doing this, and these are the wider ramifications, common problems, etc. and I hope the group could discuss. . .”  It is a seemingly minor, but very important distinction.  Of course, feel free to promote the cool things you or your institution are doing while at THATcamp, just not as the basis of session.

That’s all for now.  I hope this has been helpful for those with questions.  If you have more questions, please send us an email at thatcampcolumbus@gmail.com.

In the two years since it was established by CHNM, THATcamp has emerged as a phenomenon among tech-savvy and DIY-minded researchers, academics and professionals.  While there have only been two THATcamps at George Mason University, with four to five regional camps planned around the US, the event has had an impact that reaches beyond the confines of the event itself.   Before, during, and after each event, “campers” have helped create an ongoing backchannel community, wherein remote audiences are not only spectators, but also active participants in the online discussion.  With regional THATcamps sprouting up around the nation (we are very proud to be the third regional camp), a widely dispersed community is emerging that will carry the conversation year round.  Most importantly, that conversation is pushing toward a more innovative and collaborative scholarly community.

By sponsoring THATcamp, your organization can send a message to a wide audience that you are supportive of the cutting edge teaching and research that THATcamp represents.  Best of all, because it was conceived as a DIY, community-based unconference, sponsoring THATcamp Columbus is a great bargain!  If you are interested, drop us an email at thatcampcolumbus@gmail.com.

THATCamp (The Humanities And Technology Camp)  is a user-generated “unconference” on digital humanities inspired by the Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University.  At the THATcamp 2009, CHNM floated the idea of holding regional camps around the country, an idea that quickly took hold, leading to events in Austin, Texas (THATcamp Austin) and Washington state (THATcamp Pacific Northwest), as well as a planned event in Michigan (THATcamp Great Lakes).  THATcamp Columbus, a collaborative effort of the Ohio Humanities Council and the Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University, will be held in January 2010 in Columbus, Ohio.

We will begin accepting applications on Thursday, September 10th.  Need a little time to think about what you would like to present?  Don’t wait too long, we only have room for 50 attendees!

Apply Now!

We encourage all applicants, participants, organizers, and onlookers to sign up for a Twitter account and follow news, announcements, discussions, and general hype coming from our profile (@thatcampcbus) and the global THATcamp hashtag (thatcamp @ twitter.com" href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=thatcamp">#thatcamp).  And of course, subscribe to the THATcamp Columbus RSS feed.  Once applicants are accepted, they will begin posting their session ideas on this site, fostering a lively pre-conference community.  For more information, see the About page or drop us a line at thatcampcolumbus@gmail.com