DotDotAstro: A Totally Online .Astronomy
August 17, 19, and 26, 2020, ONLINE
The .Astronomy Foundation is pleased to announce our first online-only edition of the conference. DotDotAstro will take place over three days in August, and will be accessible to anyone, anywhere (though the synchronous parts of the conference will run from 14:00 - 21:00 UTC). The conference will feature the talks, unconferencing, and hack day that a normal .Astronomy does, but the online-only format will allow us to take advantage of being virtual.
Amazingly, we were planning this before the recent outbreak of Covid-19, in the hope of providing a template for what a truly online conference could be. Though the novelty of talking to astronomers, educators and software developers from home may have worn off somewhat, we hope youā€™ll join us.
The conference will include researchers, communicators, educators, data scientists, software developers and those who are all and none of the above. The aim is to include as broad a range as possible of those who want to spend a few days discussing astronomy and tech, creating and learning new things, and challenging each other with new ideas.
To preserve the small group feel of a normal DotAstro, DotDotAstro will be open to a maximum around 75 participants. To express your interest, use this form.
We especially welcome participation from those who have been unable to join us at in-person .Astronomy events in the past. If you canā€™t easily travel due to family or caring commitments, funding constraints, or if youā€™ve cut back on travel for environmental reasons, then please consider taking part in what should be a unique event.
Organising committee
Sarah Kendrew (ESA, STScI)
Chris Lintott (University of Oxford)
Robert Simpson (Google)
Becky Smethurst (University of Oxford)
FAQ
What will be different about the conference?
While weā€™re sticking to the normal mix of talks, unconference sessions and a hack day, each of these will feel different from a typical conference. Key talks, for example, will be recorded and edited in advance to make the most of remote presentation and to avoid anyone getting that feeling of shouting into the void during a talk!
What tech will you use?
Weā€™re working on this. Those with suggestions should get in touch!
Why run a synchronous conference for a small number of people? If people are all over the world, they should be able to participate when they like!
We thought long and hard about this. A key feature of dotAstro conferences is in conversation and discussion amongst participants, who all have a chance to talk, and we want to preserve that online. We will endeavour to make as much content available online after the conference as possible, but this dotAstro is, like our in person events, for those who can be there.
Why not three consecutive days?
An experiment! We thought it might further reduce barriers to participation if people didnā€™t have to set aside time for three days straight. Weā€™ll review this after the conference.
Will there be a registration fee?
Weā€™re glad you asked. At present, weā€™re looking for sponsorship and support, but expect to charge a small fee to cover the costs of producing content and running the conference. The fee will be waived for anyone who needs it.