Mashup Camp: a cool idea

David Berlind is working on a simple but killer concept for an “unconference” he’s calling “Mashup Camp” (and he’s already got the domain mashupcamp.com, so it’s not just an idle idea):

My goal for Mashup Camp is to do the opposite of what all these other Web 2.0-esque conferences are doing. It won’t be invitation only. The pilot event will be modest in size guaranteeing intimacy and low or perhaps even no cost to attend (perfect for some of the people doing the real innovation on a low budget). And, it will involve a mix of open networking time, leader-facilitated discussions that address some of the most important issues and concerns that the API providers and the mashup artists actually need to work out, and fun (for example, a hottest mashup contest with an even hotter prize).

I think David’s concept nails a clear deficiency in some “Web 2.0” events: beyond all the talk about good ol’ RSS, there’s a deeper story about what’s happening in the broader world of APIs that is often glossed over. RSS is still important, but we need to expand the discussion. APIs are where the action will be in the coming months. The “mashup” theme broadens the discussion in all the right ways without losing sight of the technical guts that make everything work. I think the mashup concept is also something both business people and API providers can get their heads around. It’s a nice hook.

If you want to help David put this together, be sure to read the rest of his post about the idea drop him an e-mail. (Full disclosure: David is a friend from my InfoWorld days, but knowing and talking to David about this just makes me even more enthusiastic about the idea.)

(Technorati tag: MashupCamp)