On 9/29 in Boston, we (Agile Boston) are producing an event called Agile
Day 2011 Boston. We have about 250 people coming.
See http://newtechusa.net/user-groups/ma/agileday2011/
The event includes an Open Space in the afternoon. We are planning full
proceedings. The proceedings are to be delivered in PDF format not later
than 48 hours after the event.
We are taking a shot at experimenting with some small improvements that
may prove useful for OST practitioners.
Here is the list of things we are trying:
1. Helium Balloons for Session Location Signage. We are using helium
balloons as the session-meeting-space signage. The balloons are marked
A,B,C,D etc and then tied to chairs or easels. The letters and colors
make it simple to use expansive convention spaces (no walls or corners)
for OST and point people to session spots from very far away. "See that
green balloon marked G way over yonder? That's your session!" Etc.
Chairs can get moved around and the spot for meeting is still clearly
marked and visible from far away. That's the idea anyway !
2. Yardsticks on Flipcharts. We know this one works. This technique
originated with the Agile Boston group, which has done 6 Open Spaces so
far. The technique allows the use of use flip charts in a session
without the need for an easel. The flip chart goes on a chair instead.
The technique goes like this:
a. Get a flip chart, a yardstick, and some duct tape
b. Affix yardstick to back of flip chart with duct tape, to make a
backbone for the flip chart. Let 1/2 inch of yardstick protrude at
bottom. This creates a little foot or anchor.
c. Now place flip chart on chair. Back of chair supports yardstick,
yardstick supports flip-chart. The yardstick makes the flip chart rigid.
The 1/2 inch foot cushes into the chair seat cushion and keeps the
flip-chart upright and easy to write on when seated.
3. Searchable PDF Proceedings.
We are producing a high-quality, searchable, transcribed PDF of the Open
Space proceedings. At least 100 pages worth. Up to this point few if any
Open Spaces in Agile conferences are producing any proceedings. Those
that are, are not producing a searchable file. Rather, the proceedings
contain copies of proceedings forms, or scanned images. We are aiming
at producing a searchable PDF by using a transcription service to
convert scanned images to text to render said text searchable in a
delivered PDF.
Steps
a. At the event and before, make it very plain that conveners are
expected to make free-hand, paper-form-based proceedings happen. Provide
forms and pens but do not force anything further per se
b. When a convened session is over, conveners are expected to go to
Newsroom with freehand forms filled out, to hand over.
c. Volunteers rush to meet and serve convener, bench-checking the
handwritten form, photographing any artifacts generated on flip-charts,
and finally, sending the convener on his or her way thereafter.
d. Copy of proceedings-form is made, gets posted immediately in Breaking
News. Original gets scanned, sent to transcribers by email and filed.
Said transcribers send back RTF file. RTF file is inserted into PDF and
is now searchable etc. JPG artifacts are added as needed per session.
e. The completed searchable PDF is posted on a public share, free to
anyone in the world who has the link.
f. Expected latency is no more than 48 hours per 200 pages of
proceedings generated
We expect 20 sessions per round over 3 rounds of 50 minutes each in this
afternoon event. We expect 230++ people so we expect 60 or 70 sessions
to document.
We plan to post a full experience report here after the event, to let
you know how it goes, what we learned etc. We welcome and strongly
encourage suggestions, historical information about similar stuff people
have tried, specific guidance and so on. The event is in one week.
Dan
--
Daniel Mezick, President
New Technology Solutions Inc.
(203) 915 7248 (cell)
AgileDay2011 Sept 29! <http://newtechusa.net/user-groups/ma/agileday2011/>
Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/>, Blog
<http://newtechusa.net/blog/>, Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/>,
Team Training <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/>,
Team Coaching <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/>
Agile Boston! <http://newtechusa.net//user-groups/ma/>
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