Proposing sessions FAQ

**4/24/12: We have added an additional FAQ post.**

As you can see from the Participants page, THATCamp OSU is well over half full! We expect more registrations to keep trickling in over the next couple of months, but in the meantime, the floor is open for session proposals and discussion. Unconferences are different from conferences in that all sessions are proposed and led by participants, and the schedule for the day isn’t set until the morning of. We will make a more concerted push for session proposals when we get a little closer to the day, but if you already have an idea, why not throw it out there? It might inspire someone else with an idea or spark conversation about your topic or project. Lots of details about unconferences and proposing sessions can be found on the About and Propose a session pages, but here are some additional frequently asked questions…

1. Do I have to propose a session? No, but you better hope someone does, or we will just sit around and stare at each other all day.

2. I have a great idea for a session, but I don’t want to lead it. Can I propose it and ask for someone else to facilitate? Generally speaking, if you propose a session, you should be prepared to lead it. There are some exceptions, however. If you are willing to put together a session, but feel that additional help or expertise is needed, you are welcome to propose the session and call for a co-facilitator or co-workshop-instructor. Also, your THATCamp organizers have lots of great ideas and can’t be everywhere at once, so we may offer some ideas for sessions that anyone can pick up. This may be a good option for someone who wants to lead a session but doesn’t have a topic in mind.

3. I have an idea for a session, but it’s similar to a session someone else has proposed. What should I do? You have two options. You can either propose your session and just see what happens on the day of (the sessions might be combined, or they might be different enough and each have enough support that we decide to schedule both of them), or you can leave a comment on the other person’s proposal about your idea and how you might collaborate.

4. I don’t have any session ideas yet. What should I be doing? The best thing to do is to participate in the conversation on the site. If there’s a proposal for a session you are interested in attending, leave a comment on it and say why. If you disagree with an idea, let the author know. If there’s something you don’t understand, ask a question – you’re probably not the only one.

If you have a question about proposing sessions not covered here or elsewhere on the site, leave it in the comments or contact the organizers. We will be doing everything we can to make THATCamp OSU a fun, engaging, thought-provoking experience, but at the end of the day it’s up to you. The more thought you put into it, and the more the content is developed ahead of time, the better it will be!