I tried a new type of travel last month: unconference travel. I took Amtrak’s Adirondack train up to Montreal to attend the AdaCamp unconference, an event dedicated to increasing women’s participation in open technology and culture. As soon as I heard about this conference I wanted to go: it’s invite-only, but anyone who identifies as a woman in a way that is significant to them, participates in open tech and/or culture, and believes there should be more women in these fields can apply. There’s free childcare, a gender-neutral bathroom, name tags that you can use to specify your gender pronoun preference, the option to opt out of photos, and tons of delicious food and frequent meal breaks in which to eat it. But it was the people I met and the sessions they hosted that were incredible.
Since this was an unconference, the schedule and sessions were determined by the 100 or so participants. We spent time the first morning proposing and voting on sessions while AdaCamp leaders and volunteers hashed out where it would all fit in the two-day schedule. I loved this approach because (as you know if you’ve been reading this blog) I’m all about reinventing traditional concepts. Just as ultramarathoners have made running enjoyable again, the unconference has taken the conference back to what it was intended to be: a chance to meet with people who have common interests, talk with them about those interests, and find ways to move forward. At conferences I’ve often felt people were there to “get” something, to network, or to otherwise advance their own interests — all perfectly legitimate conference aims, but not the kind that generate innovation and change. At AdaCamp I felt I and others had congregated to learn, to help one another, and to help our cause.
The very first session I attended had been scheduled prior to the unconference as a sort of orientation and was about Imposter Syndrome. Many people who are not cishet white dudes, myself included, have experienced this feeling, particularly in the tech industry. I’ve also often felt it in the travel and light packing worlds: this fear of speaking out or participating because I feel I haven’t traveled enough, or for long enough, or to enough different countries. Imposter Syndrome can be reinforced by feedback from the community. Sometimes I see comments like “I can pack light, but my girlfriend will never do it,” or “I met a woman once who packed light,” that make me feel like I don’t belong. It was cathartic to hear other people describing similar experiences, and helpful to receive advice about combatting Imposter Syndrome: by evaluating the evidence to see if there’s any truth to your fears, by accepting compliments from friends and people you trust, by tracking your accomplishments, and by sharing your knowledge.
I chose to attend a session on feminist science fiction fandom, next. We talked about the recent hijacking of the Hugo Awards, why it happened, and what we could do about it, plus the ways in which things are improving in the fandom: conferences are adopting Codes of Conduct, and stories from a more diverse range of voices are gaining acclaim. After lunch (and some fascinating 90-second Lightning Talks) I learned about attempts to close the gender gap among Wikipedia editors. One giant hurdle to gender equity on Wikipedia is that it reflects the world’s biases. Sources tend to be trusted only if they’re from the mainstream media, a problematic institution. Our session leaders suggested that a good way to get started would be to edit a stub, rather than create a brand new article, or to add links between articles or to sources.
Afterwards I attended a discussion about anarchist and anti-capitalist approaches to open culture and working collectively/cooperatively in tech. Money often makes it difficult to choose acting collaboratively over acting competitively. Do I share information on this blog, or do I spend my time doing paid work? We need to move “beyond money,” but that’s incredibly difficult when it puts food in our mouths. Work co-ops where everyone earns equally were discussed, but I prefer the couchsurfing or Binding Chaos models where (to put it crudely) we’re rewarded in proportion to our contributions to our community.
The next day I learned about legal issues like how to license your work, fair use, and what you can do if you’re harassed online. Afterwards, I went outside for a lesson in how to calm and energize yourself using qigong. The last session I attended was a workshop on speaking at conferences. Public speaking is something I’ve always struggled with, so it was reassuring and helpful to learn strategies for proposing and giving talks in a safe space. I was surprised when someone mentioned great introverts who were also great public speakers; I’d assumed from my few horrifying experiences that the two were mutually exclusive. I’ve now found resources that other introverts have shared that I hope will help when I give my first talk.
I highly recommend AdaCamp and unconferences. It was an empowering experience that gave me confidence in my work and myself. If you have the opportunity to go, do it.
4-Night Unconference Packing List (Montreal in a warm mid-April)
- Tom Bihn Synapse 19
- 2 long-sleeve shirts, 1 pair of light pants, 1 sleeveless shirt + 1 pair leggings for layering and sleeping in, 2-4 pairs of underwear, 1 bra, 2 pairs of socks, wool Ibex hoody, rain jacket, warm but adaptable shoes (I took my Soft Star Ramblers)
- Wallet, passport, printed train ticket (they stamp it)
- Phone and charger, laptop and charger, headphones, headlamp, Field Notes and pen
- Travel hairbrush, regular toothbrush, tooth powder, floss, deodorant in a chapstick tube, chapstick, razor, soap, shampoo
- Train snacks (not allowed over the border, but you’ve got a while): pb&j, trail mix, water bottle, hummus pack, cheese, yogurt, apple, pre-microwaved box of noodles
Total Cost: Around $350 USD
- AdaCamp ticket: $100 CAD (ticket prices ranged from $0-$400)
- Train ticket round-trip: $136 USD
- AirBNB for 4 nights: $115 USD
- Plus the cost of a couple of meals (most were covered by AdaCamp) and local transportation (about $3.25 or less per ride depending on how many rides you buy per card)
Photos (CC BY-NC 2.0) by Eva Blue from adacamp montreal 2015 on Flickr.
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