There is a lot of these gatherings happening here and there now. They are short (one-two days) events where attendees meet to share ideas, learn from others, and just hang out. They are short open-space informal conferences. There are certains community rules to them. If you are not from the local area, you’re often invited to stay overnight right there where the event takes place - just bring your sleeping bag. FooCamp, BarCamp, TagCamp, recent MindCamp, as well as BrainJam, TechCrunch BBQ, and now HyperCamp - these events are organized more and more in different places in the States and other countries, such as France (Paris), Holland (Amsterdam), and our neighbor Canada (Toronto). More camps appear now, that are not necessarily about technology: look at LongTailCamp. If you’re organizing one, look for tips in FooCamp Wiki.

The materials from the camps are often published on the web in form of papers, podcasts, or video.

There is also an event being organized in Washington DC area: BarCamp DC. The date is not set yet, however, and it’s been so for a long time now. I’d like to see it happen, and I hope I will not be away when the event takes place.