The first Barcamp in Cork was really enjoyable – and a great learning and social day. Myself (Keith Bohanna) and Tom Corcoran (who manages the WIT Research and Innovation Centre in Waterford) had a discussion recently about the idea of a mini-barcamp for the South East.
Barcamp is a term for a gathering of people – businesses and techies – where the talks are given by the attendees and not by “experts”. It facilitates attendees learning from their peers and getting to know more about the various start-ups and established businesses by listening to short talks/presentations and taking part in discussions afterwards. Each of us have valuable skill sets, experiences and learnings that sometimes we take for granted – but that are of interest to others.
Tom can make available the facilities of the WIT centre in Carriganore – a superb building situated on its own campus. There would certainly be attendees from the various businesses and organisations situation in the Centre including the TSSG group who do research work in the communications software sector.
There is a wiki page at barcamp.pbwiki.com/Barcamp%20Ireland%20-%20SouthEast
If you are interested in this and would like to attend, help, present please either leave a comment here or go to the page above. There is no current date set – except for early 2007 I guess.
keith
4 responses so far ↓
FERGUS O'ROURKE // January 10, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Apostrophe alert !:
“Our Attendee’s”
While I am at it, I might as well register my protest at this truly awful American import.
No, I do not mean computers: I mean “attendee”.
What’s wrong with “attendant” or even “attender” ?
The suffix “-ee” is for persons who have had something done to them. An employee has been employed. An internee has been interned.
Someone who does something active (as in attending) is graced by the suffix “-er” e.g. an employer or an attacker, or “-ant” e.g. participant or claimant.
keith bohanna // January 10, 2007 at 4:01 pm
My grammar has always been appaling – and to my shame I could not care less enough to do something about it. Mind you attendee works for me – some American imports are worth keeping
Thanks for dropping by and commenting Fergus. Will you be attending?
keith
Aidan Finn // January 10, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I prefer attendee. I think it’s part of the lexicon by now.
From Dictionary.com:
“-ee Usage Note: Reflecting its origins in the French passive participle ending -é (feminine -ée), the suffix -ee was first used in English to refer to indirect objects and then to direct objects of transitive verbs, particularly in legal contexts (as in donee, lessee, or trustee) and in military and political jargon (draftee, trainee, or nominee). Beginning around the mid-19th century, primarily in American English, it was often extended to denote the agent or subject of an intransitive verb, as in standee and returnee. The coining of new words ending in -ee continues to be common. A number of these coinages, such as honoree, deportee, and escapee, have become widely accepted. Many others, such as firee (one who is fired from a job), invitee, jokee, and roastee (one who is ridiculed at a roast), are created ad hoc and often have a comic effect. On rare occasions the suffix -ee has been applied to noun forms, giving us words like benefactee (from benefactor) and to transitive verbs, where the suffix denotes the agent, such as attendee.”
Michael Tim // February 28, 2009 at 6:13 pm
I love your site!
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