aditya kumar's weblog

Take notice. Look what the world’s weakest Cricket team is up to.

Barcamp is an event held globally for techie people to join in, talk technology and come up with interesting ideas. Barcamps usually happen at the city level and Barcamp Bangalore, Bangalore’s first ever, is scheduled to be held at Yahoo! Bangalore, on the 22nd of April.

India’s first Barcamp was held in Delhi on the 4th of March. (Many claim that they ‘beat’ Bangalore to it. Well, I just like to think that Barcamp is not a competition.) In fact, I think Delhi’s Barcamp was the first in Asia. (Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong)

The whole idea of an event like this is very interesting. I feel techies usually have some very interesting ideas inside their minds but the channels to let them out are absent. Those ideas die in the usual 10-to-8 job, add to it, the laziness inherited by each one of us. A conference (they actually prefer to call it unconference) like this could be the perfect launching pad for those ideas that could die a slow death inside a lazy geek’s brain.

Another thing that impresses me about Barcamp is that everyone needs to contribute and play a part in the event. One could help organizing it, help by giving a presentation, help someone else who is giving a presentation or could just help arranging for beer. Just can’t be a pure spectator. Everyone is a participant in his/her own way.

Though the event is open for anyone and everyone, the seats are limited and are available at first-come-first-serve basis. Bangalore’s Barcamp has a capacity for 100 campers and as expected, it’s all full. (I am camper #39 :)

Of course, I will be covering the event, making notes and posting them here :)

Links:
Barcamp Bangalore
Barcamp Delhi
Wikipedia on Barcamp

I am in Goa to watch India play England in the 3rd ODI. As the airport is a stone’s throw from where I live in Goa, I thought it made more sense to get into the arrivals lounge and try to meet our cricketers.

And meet I did. First came Chappell. Then Sehwag (No matter how much he advertises for Reliance CDMA, he uses Airtel) To follow him, Kaif, Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla, Dravid, Gambhir, RP Singh and Agarkar. Yes, I talked with a few, clicked a lot of photographs, took a *lot* of autographs. One thing I would like to mention though, Dravid is a class apart. I mean, there is certainly an air of calmness he carries around with him. Totally composed. And he is very generous, did not refuse anyone an autograph. Maybe it was his way to thank his fans for where he is today.

Then of course, came the Englishmen or the ‘poms’ as many call them. Freddie Flintoff is tall and expects people to stay away. Pietersen could almost pass as an Irish rock star. Anderson is smart and Hoggard seems like he has just woken up from a tight sleep and/or is drunk. But unlike their Indian counterparts, they did not oblige us. They sat their in the lounge for a longer duration of time, yet preferred to stay away. But it’s understandable. Afterall they have won the ashes. (If you think success has gone to their head, umm..too late)

Pictures soon!