Here’s the final FAQ e-mail that was sent out this morning…

I think this is our last e-mail to you. But no guarantees.

We have some answers to actual FAQs in this e-mail. The other ones were just things I thought people might wonder. But now we’ve got some real questions, and we’re here to make them be answered.

PARKING

There are two nearby lots. Double check the hours to which the following rates apply. Both are about 2 blocks from the venue. Check out this helpful map for reference: http://goo.gl/maps/FX9Hc

SW corner of 11th Avenue and 4th Street SW – $3.00 flat rate

SE corner of 10th Avenue and 6th Street SW – $2.00 flat rate

If you are staying for the afterparty, and you’re planning to have some drinks at the happy hour pricing that we’ll have available to us, maybe just leave your car at wherever and take the train or bus in.

TWO BIG EVENTS NEARBY

Lilac Festival is on Sunday. expect lots of traffic and pedestrians. 4th Street SW between 11th Avenue and 25th Avenue to be closed.

Calgary Marathon will be running right by the venue, and parts or all of 11th Avenue will be closed (depending upon where along its length) (thanks to Adrienne Anderson for that reminder!). In short, allow plenty of extra time to get to WordCamp on Sunday

LUNCH

District will be catering soup and sandwiches both days. We don’t know that we can guarantee special dietary requirements will be met. If you’re vegetarian, gluten-free, etc., maybe plan for a bagged lunch of your own. You have my apologies, and I’ll ensure we improve this for next year’s WordCamp. Do check the blog on Friday evening, as we’ll update there (rather than e-mail you all again) what special lunch items we will have available.

This e-mail was sent out to attendees this morning:

Hi WordCamp attendees!

You got your ticket before they sold out. Good for you! This very circumstance establishes you as a wise, proactive, and prescient individual. Your spousal person and/or your parental figure(s) and/or your mirror self must be very proud.

If you have just registered in the last few days, you may not have received the first FAQ e-mail. We have posted that on the website for your review.

There are a couple of more matters that we think will be helpful for you to know. First off, we have made the decision to NOT offer complimentary bottled water on-site. Since Calgary has such world-renowned tap water, we’re going to make sure that there are jugs and jugs and jugs of it to refill your refillable water bottle (which you will bring with you) (or SOLO cups, which we will have available) to your hydrated heart’s content. If you’re especially keen on bottled, there is a Mac’s just around the corner.

Next, we ask that you expect some glitches. We don’t know what those glitches will be. This is our first run of WordCamp, so be gentle with us. Unless we catch someone on fire. Though that’s probably highly improbable.

Finally, you can’t even imagine how excited I am that this is becoming a thing. Great thanks go out to each of you who shelled out $40 to attend our first WordCamp. We appreciate your interest, your trust, and willingness of your inner-nerd to come out and socialize.

See you on Saturday!

If you have just registered in the last few days, you might not have received a FAQ e-mail from us. It’s reproduced for you below.

Hello, you fabulous WordCampYYC attendees!

I’m writing to you today to give you some answers to some frequently asked questions about WordCamp and what to expect. For many of you, this will be your first-ever WordCamp. So exciting! I have two under my belt, and came away from them both knowing much more than when I went in, knowing much more about what I as-yet had no idea about, and some great ideas for current and future projects.

What time does it start? End? Lunch? Etc?

A partial schedule is now up on the site, which will help you figure out when you need to be where, and when you’ll get out again. Check it out at https://2013.calgary.wordcamp.org/schedule/.

What does one wear to a WordCamp?

What does one wear to any casual learning environment? Something comfortable, breathable, and probably not see-through. If you wonder if you should wear something see-through, e-mail me, and I’ll tell you.

Should I bring my laptop or iPad?

You certainly can, and many people do. I’m more of a write-notes-on-paper kind of guy, but I’m probably rare these days. Bring your iPad, laptop, or whatever other device you’re keen to use. Be forewarned that we don’t know what wifi bandwidth will be like, so you may end up frustrated over lack of a good connection. Don’t say I didn’t tell you.

What what if I’m using a Palm Pilot, or a Tandy TRS-80 or **gasp** a Windows-based computer?

Bring it! Bring what you’re comfortable with. This isn’t a technology competition, and technology snobs won’t be tolerated. We’re not here to compare our fancy machines, but to learn and share and grow and make connections. Whatever it is that best serves you in those functions, bring it.

So there is wifi then?

We believe we’ll have wifi during WordCamp, but can’t guarantee you’ll get a strong and consistent signal.

What if I’ve attended a session and it’s way over my head? Can I leave?

Yes, you can feel free to leave to go to the other session. But be warned, others may smirk at you, knowingly. No, I’m just kidding. You’re free to move about between the sessions as you see fit. Please just try to keep your wandering noises to a dull roar.

But! If you are in over your head, so what? There was something compelling about the session that attracted you in the first place. Why not stick it out and see what comes of it? I attended one at WordCamp Edmonton last year where, no word of a lie, I understood almost nothing after about the three-minute-mark. I could have left, and easily could have justified it. But I stuck it out. By the time the end came, I still had no idea what on earth just happened, but I had a much clearer picture of what it was that I didn’t understand. Worst case scenario, you’ve burned fifty minutes of your time and learned nothing. Best case scenario, you walk away with information you didn’t even know existed.

Should I live tweet the whole thing?

Some would say yes, and some would say no. I personally am in the “no” camp, thinking that it’s more important for me personally to be present and aware of what’s going on, and taking things in. The moment I start to tweet, I lose track of what’s happening. Now, if you happen to be more adept at multi-tasking than I am (which doesn’t seem to be a difficult hurdle), then certainly feel free. But while you’re doing that, keep in mind that you’re attending this ‘Camp so that you can learn and grow, not just to be a conduit for your followers to learn and grow.

Should I hand out business cards?

Yes! I mean, don’t go from table-to-table at lunch just handing them out like they’re dessert. Talk to people. Make connections. This is a community-building event, so build community. Certainly, having some cards on you to hand to those you’ve talked with will be very helpful to maintain those connections once Sunday evening comes and it’s all over but the coding.

I can only attend on Saturday / Sunday. Is that ok?

You bet. If that’s what your schedule allows, then that’s what it allows. We’ll have the registration table open again on Sunday for any who were unable to come on Saturday. When we resume on Sunday, you won’t need to re-register. But do remember to bring your badge back with you!

In a “cute WordCamp organizer competition”, which one of you would win?

Well, that depends upon your proclivities and your tastes. In the interest of community-building, I’m just going to say that I think it would be a tie. But guaranteed my Mom would vote for me.

If you have any other questions, fire them off on Twitter to @WordCampYYC and we’ll do our best to answer. If it’s a complex and in-depth question like, “If I was going to wear see-through, but I’m not sure of gold mesh or…” that won’t fit into 140, you can also e-mail organizer John at misteryyc@gmail.com.

We look forward to meeting you at WordCamp!