for hebrew version of the invitation

Yossi Vardi
December 2005

Invitation to Kinnernet 2006 – An Israeli Net Camp

Hello and welcome!

I would like to personally invite you to the
Kinnernet 2006  to be held in  Ahuzat Ohalo  (www.ohalo.com) - an inspiring location on the shores of the Kinneret (Lake Galilee), in the Northern Israel.  Kinnernet 2006 will open on Thursday, March 30th at 4 PM, and close on Saturday, April 1st, 5:30 PM. The camp's main objective is enabling direct and informal exchange of ideas and opinions, among people who are engaged in net culture, net content, net enabling technology and net trends.

 This is a free, private and closed event, by invitation only. This invitation cannot be transferred. Sadly, due to space constraints, we are unable to invite all the many good candidates that we would have liked, so please refrain from suggesting additional candidates, as it only causes unnecessary disappointments. We would like you to treat the event as private and keep it under the general radar (blog mentioning after the event is OK ) . Please Don’t invite other people to meet you within the compounds of the camp. For the same reason, we regret that we cannot accommodate spouses.

Who else is invited? Some 150 people are invited along with yourself, all of whom are Internet addicts, from many different net-related backgrounds and occupations. Our attendees are interested in  R&D, programming, internet culture, web site development, the blogosphere, online forums, social networks, chat services, instant messaging, P2P, search engines, web services, Wi-Fi, Open Source, electronic mail, infrastructure and access services, cellular services, computer gaming, interactive TV, VoIP, new trends and technologies, gadgets, security, robotics, digital art and many other topics. (We would like to emphasize that the event is not intended to deal with business issues but rather as a meeting place for the discussion of culture, content, net technology and its future). 

The Camp's format is inspired among others by a similar camp - the very successful Foo Camp, established in the US by Tim O'Reilly, owner of O'Reilly publishing house. The basic premise is that the camp's participants are the camp's content, and it follows that the camp's program is mostly set up by its participants. Except for a few topics proposed in advance by the organizers, the schedule is for the participants to define. Meeting rooms of varying sizes will be available simultaneously, and each participant is welcome to reserve a time and room for his topics on a large schedule board. Participants will freely move among the rooms and topics based solely upon their interest (and common courtesy and politeness). Thus, the camp's schedule will continuously change for the duration of the event. The informal atmosphere and the freedom to express (and absorb) ideas will, hopefully bring about a continuous state of interaction, turning the camp into a lively and fruitful forum (see: impressions of Kinnernet 2005). One of the important criteria to be eligible to participate in the camp is the participant’s active contribution, as the all-important creation of a personal page in the camp’s Wiki, taking part in outdoor activity and in organizing as well as participating in meetings and discussions. 

Man does not live on net alone. The camp will also address other aspects of creativity. Ahuzat Ohalo - available to us on an exclusive basis for the duration of the camp - is an ideal location for such activity. We will have access to a sizeable turf area, a podium, and a large clubroom. As in last year's event, participants will initiate all sorts of activities - discussions, workshops, the What's Cool marathon, outdoor activities (don’t forget training gear and clothing!), an internet and computer gaming club, robot exhibits,  an air show, an evening of music, films and performances, the gadget Olympics and more topics and activities that your imagination can come up with. Have more ideas for activities? Let us know, or better - let everybody know in KinnerNet 2006's Wiki. Please bring along the projects you created,  your musical instruments, computer and computer games, video films and clips, audio-visual (or other) presentations and installations, toys, kites, telescopes, table tennis rackets, chess and other board games, magic tricks and so on and so forth.

 Official event web site. Please visit the KinnerNet 2006 Wiki. The Wiki is an online tool which enables easy access to adding and modifying content. You are the Wiki site's editors! For the sake of keeping our Wiki clean, the wiki editing function is password protected, (sent  to you in the invitation letter). Once you get confirmation of your registration, your assigned password  will be activated at the wiki site. Please Do not transfer this password to anyone. Once you are confirmed, when you enter  the Wiki, you will find your name in the participants list - please add a short Sentence about yourself.  When you click on your name at the participate list , you will also find a special personal page opened for you under your name - you are asked to fill this page with personal information and to add a picture of yourself, so other participants may get to know you. Please write  in the appropriate Wiki’s camp sections, topics and subjects  which you are interested to discuss, present  or speak about (you can always return and modify them later). Also, please add your name (and comments) to activities you would like to take part in. Send suggestions, comments and questions to the camp content director  Ami Ben Bassat.

To-bring list. Every participant is requested to  bring at list one item intended for the enjoyment of others. This may be a technological object, contributing to the camp's content and/or objects for general atmosphere, usefulness and fun: gadgets, computer games, gadgets, toys, electronic appliances of every type, flying machines, robots, playing instruments. One of the sessions will be a Show and Tell, where participants will share and explain their attachment to a specific toy. We will have a wireless network on site (we would most appreciate if you help by contributing hardware or installation know-how).

Language. This year the camp will be bilingual - Hebrew and English. Since we expect some 35 guests from overseas and all Israeli participants are fluent in English, the person who offers to hold a session has the right to choose either of the two languages. Notwithstanding, all sessions offered by our guests from abroad will be in English. In Addition, we will make sure that during the session times,there will be always at least one session in English taking place in one of the discussion rooms. Since the evening and outdoors programs (Gizmothon on Thursday and xtravaganza on Friday ) will be conducted mostly in Hebrew, we will offer a commentator/translator in English.

Logistics. An arrival instructions map is attached. (Note: the event will take place at Ahuzat Ohalo on the shores of the Kinneret and NOT in the Ohalo College in Katzrin). Transportation offers and requests should be posted on the ride share  Wiki page.

Duration. KinnerNet 2006 opening event, with ice cream on the turf, will take place on Thursday 4 PM, and the wrapping-up event is expected to take place Saturday 17:30. The camp is intended only for those who could commit for the entire duration. If you can not attend the full length of the camp, please don’t register and contact us.

Accomodation. This invitation coverss accommodation. Ohalo rooms include a kitchenette and bathroom, and will house 2-3 persons per room (please try to see if you have preferable roommates on the Wiki participants’ list, so to make placement easier for everybody. If you can sleep in your own tent on the Ohalo turf - please inform us using the registration form. This will enable us to invite more people.

Board. Full board is included, starting with ice cream and crepes on Thursday 4 PM and ending with ice cream and crepes on Saturday 5:30 PM, through 3 meals a day as well as coffee and cakes along the way. After dinner a  "snack corner" will also be available. For the religious among us: Ohalo is a Kosher location; you may stay in Ahuzat Ohalo until the Sabbath is over.

Price. We strongly wish to make KinnerNet a tradition, inspired by the free spirit of the internet. Since we value providing access to the broadest spectrum of people, The whole  event, including accommodation and full board, is free of charge. However, if you feel an uncontrollable urge to fully or partially participate in the cost of your board, you may do so by using your credit card in the registration form. (as an indication:  the full cost for board and bed for a single participant for the full duration, is 690 NIS or 145$). Please don’t feel oblige to do so
Each participant is required to look after their own belongings. Camp organizers are not responsible for any damage or loss to you or your equipment. Your agreement to join the camp automatically indicates your agreement to this condition.

Registration. Important! We have limited availability of space. If you are not a 100% sure you are able to attend the event  - please do not register. If you do register, we will take this as your word of honor to participate in the camp from beginning to end. If, after registration, you encounter a force majeur that prevents you from participating - please be courteous and let us know at once. Whatever happens, do not become a "no show" – otherwise an already a positively reserved room will stand empty and useless while we have people who wish to participate and  whom we can not accommodate. Please remember the invitation is personal and not transferable. Also, please note: the code of behavior in the event as detailed in the registration site is obligatory.

Contact Person: Gilli Cegla volunteered to act as the camp’s foreign guests director. He will be happy to assist you. Feel free to contact him at gilli@novawind.com  or at his phone number: +972-544-543010. more information for our guests from abroad you can find at 2006.kinnernet.com/participantsfromabroad

Please let us know within a week from receipt of this email if you will participate, or not. Please email your confirmation (or decline). If you reply positively, you will have to register within a week in the Oscar site. No-reply is considered as a negative reply and your place will not be reserved.


 

 

The Internet Conference April 2 Tel Aviv. 

The Marker, the leading Israeli business newspaper , is organizing one day major Internet conference on April 2, the next day after the camp, in Tel Aviv , which will be open to the public. . The Marker invties the overseas kinnernet participants to attend and speak in the conference. Please let us know ,through the registration form,  if you are plan to attend, and if you are willing to speak at the The Marker conference. The Marker was kind enough to offer to provide Hotel accommodations  for the nights of Saturday April 1st and Sunday April 2nd for all our overseas guests who will be asked to  speak at that conference.

If you have any one in particular that you would like to meet while in Israel, please Don’t invite him to the closed  Kinnernet camp,  but rather  you are welcome to invite him to Tel Aviv conference.  Please let us know and we will be happy to send him an invitation

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ami Ben Bassat and the rest of the volunteers whose help is invaluable in organizing the event;  to the Oscar company for producing the event voluntarily; and  to the Ahuzat Ohalo management.


 Hoping to see you soon,


Yours,

Yossi Vardi and the team of volunteers: : Ami Ben Bassat, Ruth Koren; and the  Team: Ariel, Avi, Boaz, Nimrod, Guy, Yossi, Yaron, Shay, Zvika, Gil, Ido, Neora, Erez, Eyal, Eyal, Ilan, Ilit, On, Yael, Ya'akov, Ofer, Ohad, Yonni, Yuval, Yuval.
 
Important addresses you need to know:
 
Registration site:   www.veriwiz/oscar/kinnernet
 
 Email address for registration inquiries: oscar@oscar4b.com
 
Camp’s web site:     http:/2006.kinnernet.com   (There’s NO www in the URL)
Email of camp directors:  benbasat@inter.net.il
 
Ahuzat Ohalo web site: www.ohalo.com

 



Talkbacks: