Introduction
I would like to share my thoughts about skepticism as a participatory exercise, rather than skepticism as a consumer product. It is not a coincidence that this blog entry is being released at the same time as the Vancouver SkeptiCamp April 2009 call for organizers – I’m shamelessly plugging this upcoming skeptical event. Don’t panic! I’m the king of the soft sell (I promise your love of skepticism will not be tainted).
SkeptiWhat?
SkeptiCamp is a way for skeptics to self-organize an event of their own making by enforcing three rules: every participant must contribute something to the event, the contribution has to relate to skepticism, and you have to be prepared to defend your contribution.
I originally thought about how I would tell blog readers all the tedious details about SkeptiCamp in such a way so as to maintain interest, but shortly realized that there were no tedious details after all. The above paragraph already describes SkeptiCamp at every necessary level of detail.
However; if you’d like to learn about the history of SkeptiCamp and look at reports of past events, there are some resources available:
- SkeptiCamp page at the BarCamp website
- Vancouver Summer 2008 Skepticamp webpage
- SkeptiCamp on Facebook
- Reed Esau on Skepticality Nov 18th, 2009
How does SkeptiCamp succeed?
SkeptiCamp succeeds with good organization and good attendance. We will first be seeking volunteers to help with organization, and this team will develop a plan for location, logistics, funding – if required – and also identifying and supporting other participants.
My personal vision for a “successful” SkeptiCamp is not what you’d think; I’m not looking for a series of slick, polished, flawless PowerPoint presentations by experienced orators, allowing us to briefly tap into their lifetimes of expertise and live vicariously, sitting in our seats quietly in the audience.
No: I believe that SkeptiCamp is an opportunity for those who would usually be in the audience to access a level playing field for a few minutes and show us that every skeptic has something to share. It is also an opportunity for personal growth: there are many who just need a catalyst to explore their favourite subject enough to approach competence. Ask not what you can do for SkeptiCamp; ask what SkeptiCamp can do for you.
How could SkeptiCamp fail?
Success is not guaranteed. Reed Esau and I have spoken very frankly about this as an experiment. It is possible that the skeptical community could be so thin on the ground that many communities will not obtain the critical mass required to succeed. It is also possible that skeptics are just plain more interested in watching celebrities talk than exploring and developing their skeptical selves. Nevertheless, Reed has had excellent results in Colorado.
I sincerely don’t know what will happen, but the June SkeptiCamp led me to feel that Vancouver and SkeptiCamp are a good combination.
How do I become an organizer?
Just send me an email: webmaster@bcskeptics.info
Graeme Kennedy
November 2008