Preparing for THATCamp (Technology)

Here are some technology-related details about the day and things to keep in mind as you propose sessions and prepare to attend THATCamp OSU:

Where we will be and what to bring: We will be using a variety of spaces in the Thompson Library, all of which should allow for wireless internet access on OSU’s network. We encourage everyone to bring a laptop or tablet computer if possible.

Proposing sessions: Our home base will be room 165, but we will be using 150 A&B and other smaller rooms as needed for sessions. Each side of 150 has a dedicated PC for the a/v system. Other rooms have a laptop hookup or no a/v capacity. As you propose a session, please think about what kind of technology will be required. Would participants need a laptop or other device? Do they need to install software? Do you need to project something for everyone to see? Include as many details as possible in your proposal and contact the organizers with questions. We haven’t yet figured out what kind of tech support will be available to us, so have a backup plan in case something goes wrong! (For example, screen shots instead of live internet, data on a flash drive instead of your hard drive, etc.)

Twitter: Twitter is a helpful tool at a THATCamp – it allows for real-time communication about schedule changes and other administrativa, as well as communication between attendees at the same session or different sessions. (Since THATCamps are informal, participants are encouraged to move between sessions as they like. The Twitter stream can tip you off to a discussion happening elsewhere that you might want to join in on.) It can also form a record of important concepts or discussions, which will help us as we write up the results of the day. If you have never used Twitter, we encourage you to create an account and play around with it. We have set up a Twitter hashtag for the event (#THATCampOSU) – just include it in your THATCamp-related tweets and use it to search to see what other people are saying. (The Twitter feed on the right is based on the hashtag, so feel free to try it out and look for your tweet there.)