I do really like having these kinds of introductions - I am always
amazed by the breadth and variety of interests that people have and it
is a good lesson for me about my stereotypes and assumptions about
women I haven't overcome yet. It's also a great way to find people
you want to meet.
But I agree it took too long. That introduction format worked really
well at AdaCamp DC - for a variety of reasons that didn't apply at
that lunch and I wasn't even aware of during the AdaCamp intros. You
can get through 125 introductions of that form very quickly if you
have:
* Good models to start the introductions off by adhering strictly to
the (very short) format
* Strict reinforcement of the format whenever people start to get wordy
* Two microphones so you don't have mike-passing time in between intros
I first saw this style of introduction at FOOCamp, which has it down
to a science, but it's harder than it looks, as we found. :)
My two cents is that the lunch should be longer! I like to schedule
at least an hour and half. :) Overall, I was thrilled with the whole
lunch.
-VAL
On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 6:00 PM, Gillian White <whiteghost.ink(a)gmail.com> wrote:
I agree that 125 introductions is not a productive or
fun way to use a short
amount of time. In this instance, the process halted all conversation and
created a no-win situation for members of the audience - either try to
concentrate on an impossible-to-remember roll-call, or ignore the speakers.
Neither is good and leaving the room would be even more impolite. However,
it is good to have a problem that results from success!
A solution depends on what the purpose of the meeting is. If the purpose
changes from a lunch meeting, different approaches could be used but
multiple meetings or more scheduled talks should probably become strands of
the conference. The trick is to balance structure and lack of structure in
line with the principles and purpose.
Assuming the meeting continues to be a lunch meeting, I think the principles
that need to be remembered for such an event involving such a number of
people are:
- there is not much time and that time has to allow for eating (IMHO that
does not mean wandering around trying to hold food and talk at the same
time);
- anything repetitive is bound to be tedious;
- since there is a major conference in session, anything formal, other than
a welcome from Sue, would either not be a lunch meeting or should be added
to the conference agenda itself;
- flexibility and a degree of spontaneity are necessary.
So, one suggestion for a Wikimania Wiki Women's lunch meeting (and I am sure
there are other possibilities that will be considered between now and the
next conference) is to print up multiple copies of some theme labels for
people to grab and put on their table as they go into the lunch room. For
example, there could be labels for tables for women who want to:
- meet new people/conference participants;
- talk about the conference sessions;
- NOT talk about the conference sessions;
- continue an unfinished earlier discussion;
- plan some women's meetings to be held during pre-allocated times during
the conference (eg the women's edit-a-thon suggested above).
There are many more possible but you get the drift.
If multiple rooms are available the same procedure could be applied in
advance and rooms allocated for lots of smaller lunch groups. That sort of
thing depends on the venue but breaking it up means missing the opportunity
for a gathering of everyone together. Also, requiring a forced choice for
women who have a range of interests and commitments is something to avoid.
Whiteghost.ink
On 26 July 2012 07:01, Orsolya Gyenes <gyenes.orsolya(a)wiki.media.hu> wrote:
Yes, we really didn't expect over 120 women (double as much as last year)
and I think it was right to get to know each other and learn where we all
coming from and what we are interested in. Usually that doesn't happen on
this list.
Maybe we could organize a female edithaton during the Hacking Days in HK,
if there's a need for it.
~Orsolya
Deputy Program Chair
2012/7/25 Carol Moore DC <carolmooredc(a)verizon.net>
From
http://wikimania2012.wikimedia.org/wiki/Feedback#Other_meetups_and_meetings
The Women's Luncheon on Saturday was something I was very much looking
forward to, but it fell short of my expectations. I was enjoying bonding
with the women at my table, asking the speakers about their presentations
and hoping to form some more solid relationships with veteran and new
Wikipedians alike. Being required to sit back quietly while 125+ women each
stood up to introduce themselves felt like a waste of an opportunity to
build a stronger female editing community. Knowing that the women are
passionate about sharing was good, but wouldn't have been more to the
purpose to encourage networking so all the women in attendance would be more
inclined to stay active and recruit knowing there was a pool of support they
could personally draw upon? [[User:Samarista|Samarista]] ([[User
talk:Samarista|talk]]) 17 July 2012 (UTC)
I personally liked the intros. Perhaps suggest a common topic or two
people can discuss at tables?
Or have a separate meetups - a couple at different times, perhaps with
different themes. That might answer her concerns ?
Note that in the feedback section two of us mentioned that annoucements
of meetups needed to be better.
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