• JonTheNiceGuy proposes considering whether CampFireManager could be useful for talk scheduling. Using SMS, Web (AJAX based or Mobile, authenticated via OpenID) and Microblogging (using a twitter-like API for identi.ca and twitter) to schedule talks (auto-sorted into rooms by interest), show interest in attending talks and provide contact details for follow-ups. Administrators can set up remote screens to show directions to rooms, export a review of all the talks at the end to Joind.In to get feedback from attendees.
  • For a negative response, some people reviewing the app already have suggested that it might reduce the spontaneity of the day. It would also require more on-site equipment on the site on the day (one box for Message handling and, depending on load, displaying the main screen, with more machines potentially used around site to indicate directions to talks)
• Can we have a Identi.ca-fall instead of a Twitter-fall this year? (and are we having a different hashtag? maybe #OC10?)
• Perhaps this can be built into CFM mentioned above?

Hotel Prices - What's Going On? Edited by peteste

I guess this is directed towards Dan and any of the other locals who know the area, but I've just done a search on lastminute.com and laterooms.com looking for hotels on the Friday and Saturday nights, and come up with some worrying figures…

I'm not a fan of B&Bs so I'm looking at the mid-range hotels and upwards. The 3 star Holiday Inn is quoting a price of £212 for the two nights, and the Novotel a whopping £278, and it gets worse from there! Birmingham weekend rates are usually about £50 to £60 a night for city centre hotels, and thes quoted prices are high even for London. Is there some massive event other than OggCamp going on that's pushing the prices through the roof? I won't be able to afford to come if this is what it's going to cost me to stay :\

JonTheNiceGuy says: Lastminute.com is always pretty expensive - try going direct to some of the hotels, or try some other discount services

Ref: Hotel Prices

• I managed to get a double room at the city centre Travelodge for Friday night which was £80 (I think, not got the reference to hand). Also have a look at the Hotels that are slightly out of the city centre as they do tend to be cheaper, but this could be balanced out by the cost of taxis to get places.

bobobex says: You could always try hotels/guest houses in The Wirral (Bromborough/Birkenhead/Eastham area). The Mersey Rail train service runs every 15 minutes to Liverpool (last train back at 23:45pm), and the accommodation is cheaper than City Centre hotels.

• Also look further afield, St. Helens, Widnes, Warrington are only 20 minutes train journey and will save you a wedge of money. Widnes to Liverpool return is £4.80 and it'll be even cheaper to St. Helens (merseyrail zone).