Today I have been engaged (on twitter) in a discussion about
Podcamp Halifax and how it is for the ‘Privileged’ and ‘dominated’ by male
voices. I have never considered myself privileged to be there. Lucky to get off
the wait list and get a ticket? Yes. But privileged? No.
There were people from all walks of life there and a wheelchair was not
a barrier for some. Podcamp is a free
event open on a ‘first come first serve’ basis. The fact that some people hadn’t
heard of the event until the day before leads me to believe that their social
media presence is either sporadic or they need to ‘follow’ a few more people.
Both of these are easily remedied.
I’m not aware of how many people offered to present or how
many (if any) were declined a spot. This said, yes, there was 3 times the
number of men speaking as women but with an organising team made up of men and
women, but I know that this was not by design. It is not the ‘job’ of volunteers to encourage
women to present. Women have to ‘want’ to present and valuable content is just
that, no matter who the source is. There is a Women Learning Code group out
there. Perhaps they could be approached to give a presentation.
As the subject of Podcamp being accessible (people couldn’t
get tickets) is an issue, the fact that it is a free event is what contributes
the high percentage of no-shows. Those who complained that they could not get
access should blame those that did not show. This problem may be offset if
there were a nominal charge for the event. A $5 fee would help ensure people show up and
the proceeds could be used to enhance Podcamp (cameras for live-streaming are
not free) and/or could be donated to a charity (a different local charity could
be chosen each year). If people complain
about the fee, they can skip their Starbucks for a day. Sorry if I sound as if $5 is no big deal, I
know for some it can be…but it is a way to ensure people are serious about
attending. And if it is an issue, there could be a block set aside for those
who cannot pay who contact the organisers in confidence.
I believe we tried live-streaming some of the talks a few
years ago. I’m not certain if the result was a great one because of the limited
Wi-Fi at Alderney but the technology has improved and would be more feasible
now. It would be up to the presenters if they wanted their talks streamed live.
I have seen some other Podcamp presentations that were streamed…it loses
something when you are not there. Most of the presenters made their content available
on-line. The combination of the content and the streaming should help those not
able to attend.
I want to thank the organisers of Podcamp Halifax. This year at the Central Library was great! You may have heard some constructive criticism from some but the
fact that the complaints were things out of your control is a testament that you
did it right…and I’m sure that the dialogue that has been sparked as a result will give you the resolve to make
Podcamp Halifax 2016 even better!
