Did you thrill to the weekend of TCSE tweets that just passed you by? Did you wish you could have been a part of the action? Did you salivate when we posted a sneak preview of our shirts and name tags?

Did you want your own?

Well, now’s your chance. For the low, low price of $10, we will ship you your own TCSE shirt anywhere within the continental US. Yes, that’s right, you’ll get a beautiful, chocolate-brown shirt delivered to your door via the USPS for only $10. And need we say that these shirts normally cost $18, even without the amazing logo? And that’s without shipping!

So if you’d like a shirt, please make a donation in the amount of $10 (or more, if you’d like!) using the button at the right. Make sure you put your address in using the “special instructions” box:

And yes, if you ask nicely, we’ll even throw in a customized name tag! At the moment, we have shirts in the following sizes:

Unisex

• XS
• S
• M
• L

Women’s

• M (please note that women’s medium shirts are anvil rather than American Apparel)
• 2XL

The numbers in each size are limited, so don’t delay! Get your TCSE on TODAY!

I called today and was told I could park at the Inn (around 8 AM) Friday, come in, confirm my reservation and get a parking pass, take the shuttle and then “check-in” later.

This may be useful to others. Hope all have safe travels and see you tomorrow!

G

THATCamp is almost here, and BootCamp starts tomorrow. We know that you’re all coming to work, learn, and get your hands dirty working on your projects. But a THATCamp isn’t all just blood, sweat, and tears: that’s why we’re happy to announce our meetups for the weekend.

On Friday night, we’ll be congregating at Manuel’s Tavern in the Atlanta’s Poncey-Highlands neighborhood, only a short drive from Emory. Come for a bite and a drink, whether you’re just arriving prior to the Camp or if you’ve been programming all day at BootCamp. The address is 602 N Highland Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30307-1433. We’ll start arriving around 6pm. It’s a “seat yourself” kind of place, so look for us in the big room to the left when you come in the front door.

By Saturday night, we’ll have fed our brains but need something for our stomachs. Accordingly, we’ll head to Taqueria del Sol in Decatur Square, again a short drive. This is a casual place, and we’re not going to call ahead and tell them 100 hungry THATCampers are on their way. Instead, we’ll just invite people to come in groups. It’s a casual dining place, so stand in line, make conversation, and enjoy some killer tacos. We’re told they sell margaritas and a range of tequilas as well. The address is 359 West Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030-2442. If for some reason you don’t want tacos, there are lots of other amazing options only a short walk away from Taqueria del Sol.

See you soon!

We’re just a few days away from the best little THATCamp in the Southeast! We hope you’re as excited as we are. We wanted to draw your attention to the newly updated logistics page, which has new and improved information about getting to Emory, parking, and more. Notice also the link to the Emory mobile apps, which works for iOS and Blackberry devices and which will help you find your way around campus, if need be.

I checked today with the Emory Inn and here are the options for transportation to/from the airport: a cab costs anywhere from $40-55 one way.  There is a shuttle that you can reserve  for $30 one way or 50$ round trip.  Atlanta Superior Shuttle 770-457-4794  I plan on taking that to the airport on Sunday.  See you soon!

Here’s a summary of the software that you’ll need to install on your laptops if you’re participating in the Programming Track at BootCamp.

For the “Introduction to Programming, using Python,” you’ll need to download and install Python from www.python.org/download/releases/2.7.1/. Make sure you choose the version that matches your computer. Current Macs (i.e., those that don’tuse PowerPC chips) should use the last link. If you’re on Windows, you’ll need to know if you’re using a 32- or 64-bit processor. Documentation about Python can be found at docs.python.org/.

For the second session, “Introduction to the Django Framework, Using Python,” you’ll need to download and install Django. Please note that you must install Python before installing Django. Documentation about Django can be found at docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.2/.

Installing Django On a Mac
Download Django from www.djangoproject.com/download/. Once it’s downloaded, you’ll need to work through your command line interface, which you’ll find in Applications > Utilities > Terminal. Once in the terminal, you will need to go to the directory where you’ve saved the Django download. I’d saved the file to the desktop, so I typed “cd desktop.” I then had to type the following (w/o quotation marks): “tar xzvf Django-1.2.5.tar.gz”. This extracted the files for Django. I then entered the Django directory by typing “cd Django-1.2.5”. And then I ran the install by typing “sudo python setup.py install”. I had to authorize the sudo process, and then I was set.

Installing Django on a PC
The easiest way to install Django is to download Python’s setuptools from pypi.python.org/pypi/setuptools. Once that set of tools has been installed, access your command line. You should then be able to simply type “easy_install django” and it should download and install the package.

Please let Brian know if you’re having trouble getting things installed. We could perhaps makes some screenshots if necessary.

Here’s a summary of the software that you’ll need to install on your laptops if you’re participating in the Digital Humanities Project Track at BootCamp.

For “Visualizing Time and Space with Simile Widgets and Google,” you will need a Google account (like a Gmail address) so you can use Google Docs. If you don’t already have access to Docs, please sign up before our session starts. Second, you’ll need a text and/or HTML editor. Most computers have one already installed: Notepad is on Windows and TextEdit is on Macs. If you want something with a little more oomph behind it, you could look at the tools at these recommended tools: simile.mit.edu/wiki/Exhibit/Tools. If you have a tool like Dreamweaver installed, that will work nicely as well.

For “Intro to Encoding Texts,” you will need to download and install <oXygen/> XML Editor. Please note that there is a 30-day free trial for the software, so you don’t need to pay anything.

For “Intro to GIS,” you will need to download and install Google Earth.

In summary, you’ll need

• a Google account and access to Google Docs
• a text editor
• <oXygen/> XML Editor
• Google Earth

One of the things that is most exciting about THATCamps is the unconference format. If you’ve ever wanted to go to a conference without papers or presentations, then TCSE will knock your socks off. But if we’re going to have a conference without those ordinary conference trappings, we all have to pull our own weight. That means we all have two duties:

1. Write a session proposal. What we’ll talk about at THATCamp depends on what you propose. Writing out your session proposals in advance is crucial, because we’ll decide which sessions to hold in the first hour of THATCamp on Saturday. So let’s hear your ideas!

   Remember, do not prepare a paper or presentation. Instead, we’re looking for some ideas of what you’d like to work on and talk about at TCSE. In some ways, this isn’t that hard since you already told us your ideas in your application. You can feel free to post those ideas to share with the whole group or to expand. Or you could go in a completely different direction, based on where your focus has been recently. If you need a model, see these early proposals by Sherman and Adelle, as well as this great overview of THATCamp session genres that includes links to many other session proposals. Remember, everyone who goes to a THATCamp proposes a session.

2. Read and comment on others’ proposals. Since a THATCamp runs on love (as well as the occasional donation), you’ll want to be aware of what your fellow Campers plan to discuss. Read their session proposals to see what might interest you at THATCamp. If there’s a session that particularly intrigues you, start a discussion on the website. See, for example, the comments that Sherman’s post has already provoked. You can easily find all the session proposals here, and you can also subscribe to the site’s RSS feed so new posts come to you.

If you need help with doing any of this, send an e-mail to thatcamp.southeast [ut] gmail.com, and we’ll be glad to be of service.

The sooner you publish your session proposals and start discussing them online, the better prepared we will all be. And we might just start building a learning community in advance, which is what THATCamp is all about.

(It’s worth acknowledging this post’s indebtedness to Lincoln Mullen’s similar call to arms for THATCamp New England.)

It’s absolutely true that a THATCamp runs on love. This is one of the reasons why there is no registration fee for a THATCamp. We want to make sure that money isn’t a barrier to graduate students, librarians, faculty, or anyone else from attending. After all, we know as well as you do that money is tight.

But it’s also true that a THATCamp runs on coffee. And pastries. And sandwiches and monkeys. It’s for this reason that we’ll pass the hat (literally) at our THATCamp. We’ll be accepting cash donations and checks made out to “Emory Library” as tax-deductible contributions toward the Camp. As you’ve no doubt seen on our About page, we are suggesting $25 donations per Camper.

Of course, we know that not everyone carries cash in this brave new world of ours. For that reason, we’ve harnessed the power of the Internet! You can now click on the button to the right to make a donation (via credit card, if you’d like) to THATCamp Southeast! And then we can feed the monkeys. Thanks!