diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 428dc6d..8fbe010 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -1,41 +1,50 @@ -# What is SquatConf? - -Some of us are lucky enough to attend marvelous conventions, made with love by amazing people. Great events with top-notch speakers, incredible venues, and amazing parties. - -These conferences are run with huge contributions from volunteers, and financial support from sponsors, providing top-notch events at affordable prices. - -But even then, they're not affordable for everyone. - -these are the intentions behind first squatconf, why would we want to pay expensive venue when we can organise this in a squat, creating a beneficial synergy in the process - -This is almost what happened , but it did not ended as a more than a 'tech' conference ... - -This is why squatconf will be on donation, because we belive that no one should ask for diversity tickets, and that Information wants to be free. - -SquatConf won't be your everyday conference, but we'll have good talks from amazing people. It'll be donation-based, and you'll get to contribute if you want to. - -## How is this possible? - -Conference costs are huge, and ticket prices are often [nowhere near the true per-attendee cost](http://2014.lxjs.org/about/), even for a non-profit conference. - -Fancy venues, transportation, hotels and food are really nice perks to have, but… - -If you hold a conference in a squat… -the speakers advance their travel expenses… - - -If you work with the available infrastructure and local community as much as possible, with a little help of everyone you'll have a zero-cost conference made with love, but a little rougher around the edges. - -## The Plan - -We are a bunch of crazy programmers that believe in decentralised systems, conferences included. - -We will provide a space, we will provide a context, some talks, and the rest will be up to you… - -## Who is behind this - -a bunch of ppl that had fun at the first one, or knew each others before, coming from loads of different horizons. +## What is SquatConf? It started in Paris Nov 2014 ... + +Squatconf happened in November 2014 in Paris in a squat, hence the name. +It wasn't your typical IT conference because it was mostly Just-in-Time-organized +by all the people who attend. There were no advertisements from Sillicon +Valley companies (or any others) and several people felt free to give somewhat +radical talks on technologies and society, even openly associate with +anarchism. There also were a fair share of advanced tech talks on web +Crypto, decentralized tech demos, internet of things, automatic garden +planting systems and what not. And we had many personal conversations +among each other which continue to this day. + +## ... and now we go to Berlin end april 2016! + +We want to make another Squatconf happening happen around +end April 2016 in Berlin. Timing wise it's next to "re:publica" so that +researchers and others who are going to this business conference can also +drop by at squatconf to participate in a more independent event. +Berlin has gotten quite trendy, more expensive and squatting +is much less happening than it used to. But there still is lots of life +and lazyness which hasn't been fully occupied by world-wide-capitalism +yet. + +## Money and time + +Whatever we need money wise we'll pay for it by asking +for donations by all who come. We'd like to keep it a somewhat small +no-entrance-fee conference, collectively organized by those who attend, +with a personal atmosphere. Besides listening to good talks you can +also have interesting conversations while preparing food for all in the +kitchen. We'd like nobody to get overly stressed which can happen all +too easily if single individuals feel responsible for collective +outcomes. The most important commitment when coming to Squatconf is our +time and dedication to create a space where things happen and people +feel free to talk. Btw, any kind of racist or sexist behaviour +will receive fierce opposition. + +## I want to help / I need help + +If you can help with organizing stuff in Berlin please come a few days earlier +as some of us to. Drop by at #squatconf on freenode and/or subscribe to the mailing list. + +If you need travel funding or a place to sleep please ask on the channel. +If you bring a sleeping bag something should be possible but it's good +if you tell before so that we have an idea on how many people need accomodation. ## I want to give a talk! Please see [our talks repository](https://github.com/squatconf/talks) to propose a talk. +