Have you ever been to one of those conferences that have you sitting in uncomfortable plastic chairs, all lined neatly, in a huge, dim, wide-open room? Then, when the first speaker arrives, they start by saying, "Good morning," but your coffee hasn't quite kicked in, so there is only a murmur of return salutations. Then the speaker says, "Aww, c'mon. You can do better than that! GOOD MORNING!" and you have to heft your vocal chords off their butts and heave your words out of your mouth like a bag of damp diapers, "GOOD MORNING."

BarCampMilwaukee7 is not one of those conferences. It involves starship bridge simulators instead.

BarCampMilwaukee7: Seven Minutes of Terror (named for the Mars rover Curiosity landing earlier this year) is different from a typical corporate conference. BarCamps are a participatory "unconference" event, where there is no "one" speaker and attendees are in charge of what happens. It is an open environment where people interested in teaching and learning come together to share their knowledge and experiences.

BarCamps are an international phenomenon, with some being planned as far away as Zimbabwe.

BarCampMilwaukee veteran James Carlson describes it this way: "At an unconference like BarCamp, attendees aren’t coming to see one person speak, or a 'panel of experts' on stage. Attendees meet and connect with people who, like them, are interested in technology. We are all experts at our own experiences, and BarCamp is about sharing those experiences with others."

In other words, if you know something about a subject, you will have many opportunities to contribute. If you are simply interested in learning more on a subject, you will have many opportunities to learn from many different perspectives.

And be sure to bring your gadgets, because unlike a corporate gig, BarCamps are a participatory experience. BarCampMilwaukee focuses on technology and much like light passing through a prism, the topics within that focus have a varied complexity…