for hebrew version of the invitation

Yossi Vardi

January 2005

Hello and welcome!

I would like to personally invite you to the KinnerNet 2005 camp, in the Ahuzat Ohalo retreat (www.ohalo.com) - an inspiring location on the banks of the Kinneret lake, in the Galilee region of northern Israel. KinnerNet 2005 will open on Thursday, April 7, at 4 PM, and close on Saturday, April 9, 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, and is intended for invitees only. This invite cannot be transferred.

Who else is invited? Some 150 people are invited, all of them internet addicts, from many different net-related backgrounds. Topics that interest our invitees include R&D, 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, etc. We would like to emphasize that the event is not intended to be a business forum but rather as a meeting place for the discussion of culture, content, net technology and its future.

The Camp's format is  inspired 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 proposals made by the organizers, the schedule is yours to define. Meeting rooms of varying sizes will be available simultaneously, and each participant is welcome to scribble topics on a large schedule board, together with a suggested place and time to accommodate those interested. Participants will freely move among the rooms and topics, constrained only by their interest. Thus, the camp's schedule will continuously change for the duration of the camp. 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 2004)

Man does not live on net alone. Other topics the camp will address would include aspects of creativity in other areas. Ahuzat Ohalo - exclusively available to us for most of 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, outdoors activities (training gear!), an internet and computer gaming club, robot exhibits and air show, an evening of music, films and performances, the gadget Olympics and more - let your imagination go creative. Have more ideas for activities? Let us know, or better - let everybody know in KinnerNet 2005's Wiki. Please bring your playing instruments, computer and computer games, video films, 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 recently launched KinnerNet 2005 Wiki. The Wiki tool enables easy access to adding and modifying online content. You are the site's editors! For the sake of keeping our Wiki clean, you received a password in the accompanying letter. Do not transfer this password to anyone! Upon entering, you will find your name in the invitee list - please add a short description of yourself. You will also find a special page opened for you - you are asked to populate this page with useful information, so other participants may get to know you. You will also be able to see who already confirmed. Please write - in the appropriate Wiki pages - topics you are interested to discuss 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 Wiki masters - Ami Ben Bassat and Ofer Adler.

To-bring list. Every participant must bring an item intended for the enjoyment of others. This may be a technological object, contributing to the camp's content and/or general atmosphere: laptops, 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 (can you help in contributing hardware, or in installation?).

Logistics. A map is attached. Note: the event will take place at Ahuzat Ohalo on the banks of the Kinneret and NOT in the Ohalo college in Katzrin. Transportation offers and requests go to the appropriate Wiki page.

Duration. KinnerNet 2005 opening event, with ice cream on the turf, will take place on Thursday 4 PM, and the wrapping-up event is expected to end Sat 17:30. The camp is intended only for those who could commit for the entire duration.

Room. Rooms include a small kitchen and bathroom, and will house 2-3 persons per room. Please try to locate roommates on the Wiki, 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. For the same reason, we regret that we cannot accommodate spouses.

Board. Full board is included, starting with ice cream and crepes on Thursday 4 PM and ending with ice cream and crepes on Saturday 4:30 PM, as well as coffee and cakes. After dinner "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, this event is free of charge. However , if you feel an uncontrollable urge to participate in the cost of  your board in full or in part, please do so using a credit card in the registration form. This will also enable inviting more participants.(As an indication:  the full cost for the full duration,  per participant for board and bed in a double room is 630 NIS or 145$ )

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ami Ben Bassat and Ofer Adler who volunteered to help in organizing the event, to the Oscar company producing the event voluntarily, to the volunteer Team, and to the Ohalo management which went a long way towards meeting our budget. 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 space. If you are not 100% sure you will be able to make it - please do not register. If you do, we will see this as your word of honor to participate in the camp from beginning to end. If, after registration, you encounter a force major and cannot participate - please be courteous let us know at once. Whatever happens, do not become a "no show" - thereby allowing an already paid room to stand empty and useless while we have people on stand-by. Also, 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 binding.

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 in the positive, you will have to register within a week in the Oscar site. No reply will be considered as a negative reply and your place will not be reserved.

Finally, a personal word: please see this event as a private event, do not distribute or advertise it to friends or to the public at large.

Hoping to see you soon,

Yours,

Yossi Vardi ,: Ami Ben Bassat, Ofer Adler, 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

All the addresses you need to know:

Registration site:   www.veriwiz/oscar/kinnernet

 Email address for registration questions: oscar@oscar4b.com

Camp’s web site  2005.kinnernet.com. (please note : NO www at the url)

 Email of camp directors : oferadler@yahoo.com,  benbasat@inter.net.il .

Ohalo web site: www.ohalo.com