Barcamp Manchester 9
Another successful event.
Barcamp Manchester took place on 21 September at Auto Traders’ Manchester office. The 2019 event was the ninth in a very successful history of barcamps. Just in case you were unaware, a Barcamp is an unconference; the attendees are asked to give talks and fill in a schedule for the day.
Barcamps produce some interesting talks, and at Barcamp Manchester 9 there were plenty of those. The first I took part in was ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) and I learnt a lot about accessibility for Javascript applications. From here
I moved to a talk on freelancing and contracting in the IT sector, a discussion with 20-year veterans on best practices and skills. After lunch I learnt about the fourth Industrial Revolution – we’re living in it! Data is the latest revolution and it is shaping how industry works. I then went to a talk on Open Source Hardware and how FPGAS are changing the emulation of retro computers.the last talk was an open discussion on a Universal Basic Income, and how it could affect the mood and creativity of a nation.
This is what a Barcamp is about: diversity in the attendees, talks and subjects. You can go to many different talks, learn new ideas and skills, and have lunch, all for free.
Barcamps are great fun and if you have never been to one, please do so. A quick online search is all it takes to find one near you.
My first ever event was a Barcamp, and they have been a constant fixture on my calendar since.