Comments on: What an unconference is not

By: Deven Black

Deven Black — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 01:14:21 +0000

Conferences are organized with pre-determined content and schedule. They cost money to attend.

Unconferences have a place and time. The specific content and specific schedule are determined by volunteer presenters on the day and at the site of the unconference. Unconferences are free and should be free.

Presrecorded PD that one must pay to access, no matter how good it might be and whether or not it is presented on a specific schedule, is neither a conference nor an unconference. Calling it one or the either is a deliberate attempt to mislead.

I am sure that the unidentified education company to which you refer certainly would not like its name associated with a fraud and I strongly urge it to call what it provides what it is: paid PD. Calling an unconference or calling it a gorilla does not make it one or the other.
Deven Black´s last [type] ..Doing the Right Thing Because It Is Right- Not Expedient

By: Jason Bedell

Jason Bedell — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:34:30 +0000

Thanks Amy. I do believe unconferences should be free, but it takes a lot of time and effort to keep them free. When I hosted TeachMeet Nashville, I raised around $4000 in funds and close to $1000 in other prizes. I was able to pay $1000 for the venue, $2000 for lunch for 2 days for 100 people, and had over $3000 in prizes. No one ever had to pay a dime.
Jason Bedell´s last [type] ..What an unconference is not

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:41:12 +0000

Watching pre-recorded presentations sure isn’t an unconference! They’re supposed to be participant lead with a dynamic agenda, created on the fly by attendees.

But, just for the record, not all unconferences are free. Nor should they be. Food, meeting space, a professional facilitator, etc. all cost money. Kaliya Hamlin says it well in this article: http://www.unconference.net/on-unconferences-and-money/