BarCamp NOLA will enter into its third year of learning and giving, becoming a tradition in the New Orleans tech community.  BarCamp NOLA derives from the original event, BarCamp which originated in Palo Alto, California, from August 19–21, 2005.  BarCamps are held in 350 cites around the world and can be thought of as a loose, flexible conference (sometimes referred to as an “unconference”) where anybody can present about emerging technologies  (yours truly is even presenting on: Strategies & Tips For Becoming A Better Gamer in First Person Shooters).  In 2008, Matthew Tritico, organizer for BarCamp NOLA brought the idea to fruition in New Orleans.  "After the first Net2NO SXSW bus trip, I witnessed the power of grass-roots community efforts. One of the t-shirt logos that year was "Take your place".  So, I decided, while in Austin, that I wanted to organize the second BarCamp NOLA event. There are a lot of techies here in New Orleans trying to make an impact, and I think community events like BarCamp NOLA help bring people together." said Mr. Tritico.

2009 BarCamp T-Shirt

Last years event was a great success bringing out 70+ people to BarCamp NOLA in 2009.  BarCamp NOLA is a two day event where day one is used for learning/presenting, while day two is reserved for giving back to the community.  BarCamp NOLA 2 produced topics on augmented reality, ruby on rails, and the importance of mobile web design on its first day.  On day 2, attendees came back to create a website for NOLA School Volunteers, who was in desperate need of a way to get information out about their cause and get more volunteers for our schools in New Orleans.

Brian Rodriguez traveled from Baton Rouge to attend last years BarCamp NOLA and believes that it’s a great learning experience for anybody who attends.  “BarCamp NOLA is an awesome local event that helps foster the technology community in the greater New Orleans area, and it's a chance to meet a lot of exciting, successful people.  I highly recommend that area entrepreneurs, creatives, and technologists attend.” says Mr. Rodriguez.

This years BarCamp NOLA is looking to continue the momentum and provide a place for geeks to learn from other geeks while also using their tech skills to give back.  The event is free to the public and will take place on July 17th & 18th.  At the time this article is published, fourty-four people have signed up so far with about nineteen topics suggested.  Day two will be a hack day where Standford Rosenthal will present a new app called Facerize letting the participates test and provide feedback.  If you want to get a sneak peak of what BarCamp NOLA has in store, Net2NO will be hosting a MiniBar to showcase a short version of the workshops from two of the presenters on July 6th.

Ruby on Rails Preso from BarCamp NOLA 2

When we asked Mr. Tritico, what's the big deal/the purpose behind BarCamp NOLA, he explained "It brings talented people together in one location to exchange ideas, build connections, launch shared projects or initiatives, and generally assist in realizing the potential of the tech community here in New Orleans. It is both a showcase of our local talent as well mechanism to inspire others."

Website: http://barcampnola.org

Sign Up To Attend: http://barcampnola.org/sign-up/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/barcampnola