About BoCon

What is BoCon?

BoCon is short for Boise Conference. It is a new annual event to promote public awareness of Open-Source culture and its influences on technology, music, art, and film. It is a chance for artists and geeks to get together to share information and collaborate on innovative cross disipline projects. It is an opportunity for an exciting new kind of carreer development that is meant to be a lot of fun.

When is BoCon?

BoCon 2006 is scheduled for Friday October 27^th and Saturday October 28^th.

Where will BoCon 2006 be held?

BoCon 2006 will be held at the Visual Arts Collective in downtown Boise. Their address is 1419 Grove Street Boise, Idaho 83702.

What is Open-Source Culture?

Open-Source is a term generally used to describe software that is freely available to use, modify and republish with few restrictions.

We extend this term to also include music, art and digital works in general. In this sense, Open-Source is a culture of collaboration and sharing among creative people.

For a more in-depth definition see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Culture or http://www/opensource.org/. Also, visit http://www.creativecommons.org/ for more information about Open-Source art and music.

What is closed source software?

Closed source software is software for which the source code is not publicly available. This makes such software very difficult to modify. Many companies rely on this fact to restrict the customer's ability to copy their software.

The creators of ardour, an Open-Source digital audio workstation, describe closed source software with the following analogy:

„Imagine that you bought a car and were told that the manufacturer was the only place you could get it fixed. None of your friends are allowed to use the car, and there's a good chance that it won't work on certain kinds of roads. As for customizing it: neither you nor your car-wise friends could do anything, because the hood is welded shut ...“

What is Open-Source?

In contrast, Open-Source software is freely available under a license which allows its users access to the source codes from which the software was built and the right to use, modify and redistribute the software.

This idea can also be applied to music and art. For example, when an artist shares the knowhow and source materials behind their art and allows their digital works to be freely copied, modified and redistributed, we consider this Open-Source art.

Why would anyone give their work away for free?

This is a question we are often asked. The answer is simple. The benefits outweigh the costs. In addition to free peer review, cheap marketing and access to the contributed resources of the rest of the Open-Source community, artists, musicians and software developers use Open-Source to make money.

Open-Source cuts costs and helps build a consumer base to which related goods and services can be marketed. These goods and services may include commissioned works, additional features, support services or physical products like CDs, books, paintings or hardware. Ultimately, Open-Source lowers the cost of trying your products and the barriers to enter new markets.

Event Overview

Music

MC Plus + and DJ Illingworth of Phoenix, AZ are carving out a niche with their hilarious new musical genre, “nerdcore”, gangster rap for nerds.

Bonefish Sam and his power orchestra have been making edgy experimental electronic music in Boise for many years now. Come hear their latest Creative Commons creations.

Other: In addition to other live performances a selection of freely available Creative Commons music will be played throughout the event.

Workshops

MiniPOV: Build your own persistence of vision device. Just like the one in this packet. Design available at www.ladyada.net.

Open-Source Licensing: Learn what Open-Source licenses mean for your company and how to use free Open-Source software in your business.

Free Software: Find out about high quality Open-Source software for web browsing, email, office applications, music and film studios, photo editing, and more.

Film

Dinner and a Movie: Eat dinner at a participating restaurant and watch a quality Creative Commons movie.

BoCon Documentary: The process of planning, organizing, and executing BoCon 2006 is being filmed and will be released as a documentary after the event.

Art

Open-Sculpture Project: An exciting collaboration among local experts in sculpture, robotics, software development, and electronic audio will produce a programmable art piece incorporating motion, light and sound. This work will be on display in the VAC gallery at BoCon 2006.

Submissions: We are currently reviewing submissions for art projects and installations.

Speakers

Keynote Speaker from the Open-Source community.

Dr. Feldman of Boise State University’s Computer Science Department presents The History of Open-Source Culture

Caleb Chung co-inventor of the Furby speaks about the importance of collaboration among artistic and technical people.

Games

Open-Source Jeopardy and much more.

Projects

10 groups will be given $200 to create an Open-Source project for presentation at BoCon 2006.

Tentative Event Program

Friday, October 27^th

Time	Event
16:00	Introduction to BoCon 2006
16:15	Keynote address
17:00	Summary of events to come
17:30	Open gallery
18:00	MiniPOV Workshop 1
19:00	Open gallery
20:00	Performance by MC Plus +
21:00	Contest or game
22:00	Performance by Memetech
23:00	Contest or game

Saturday, October 28^th

Time	Event
9:00	Introduction to day two
9:30	Alex Feldman: The History of Open-Source
10:30	Caleb Chung: Open-Source Collaboration
10:45	Open-Source Licensing Workshop
12:00	Open gallery
13:00	MiniPOV Workshop 2
14:00	Free Software Workshop
15:00	Darrin Woods & Joel Wallace: A Gentle Introduction to Open-Source Electronic Music
16:00	Open-Sculpture presentation & name selection
17:00	Open gallery
18:00	Closing comments
19:00	Performance by Router & Beefy
20:00	Performance by MC Plus +
21:00	Open-Source costume contest
22:00	Performance by Discoma
23:00	Contest or game

Proposed Budget

Description	Itemization	Cost
Funding to assist approved projects and presentations.	$200 (x10)	$2,000
Keynote speaker in negotiation	Hotel, flight & food (x1)	$1,700
Creative Commons Guest Musicians MC Plus + and DJ Illingworth (from Pheonix, AZ)	Flight & food (x2)	$1,000
Music Coordinator James Stevens a.k.a. Memetech (from Hawaii)	Flight & food (x1)	$500
Travel Assistance for other musicians and presenters	Gas money, food & lodging	$500
Promotional Materials	Flyers, posters, press releases, event program	$500
MiniPOV Workshop	MiniPOV kits (x100)	$1,000
Prize Fund	$500 viewer's choice award for best presentation, $100 for winning Open-Sculpture name, $300 other games and contests	$900
Schwag Fund	T-shirts, stickers, free software and music CDs, documentary DVDs, etc.	$500
Equipment rental	Chairs, wireless Internet access, partitions, lighting, sound equipment	$900
Total		$9,500

Sponsorship

We are currently seeking sponsorship. By sponsoring BoCon 2006 you not only help us attain our goal of increasing public awareness of Open-Source culture, but also make a strong public statement that you and/or your company support collaboration, sharing and innovation among creative individuals in our community.

Personal Sponsorship

Bronze: $25 to $99

Your name will be listed on our website and sponsorship board at BoCon 2006. In addition, you will receive a free copy of BoCon 2006, The Making Of DVD.

Silver: $100 to $499

In addition to the Bronze benefits, you will be publicly thanked at BoCon 2006 for your support.

Gold: $500 to $1,999

In addition to the Silver benefits, your name or logo will appear on our website and some promotional materials.

Corporate or Institutional Sponsorship

Platinum: $2,000 to $3,999

With Platinum sponsorship you will receive all the benefits of Gold sponsorship plus your institution will be mentioned in our press releases. At your option you may also setup a booth at BoCon 2006 to promote the Open-Source aspects of your business.