Rabble on Nostr: Thank you to everyone who contributed to the organization and success of #nostrasia ...

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the organization and success of #nostrasia and for making nostr.world possible. The immense effort involved in orchestrating such an event is commendable, and I'm thankful for having had the chance to participate.

A key expectation for me was to delve deeper into and connect with the Japanese Nostr community. Unfortunately, despite being in the same vicinity, a sense of connection was missing. The language barrier and cultural differences seemed to be significant obstacles. I struggled to follow the Japanese talks and couldn't engage with the Japanese attendees as I had envisioned. This highlighted the need for more inclusive and accessible communication strategies in future gatherings.

While much about the event was praiseworthy, there are aspects I wish were different. The format, dominated by numerous stage presentations and hallway interactions, was commendable, yet I believe an ideal unconference strikes a balance between these formats.

The structure of having many speakers and an audience primarily in a listening role hindered the potential for deeper, personal connections. As a speaker on the first day, I was approached for conversations about Nostr, which were enriching, but somewhat sporadic and unstructured. This dynamic, where a few are seen as heroes imparting wisdom to an audience, doesn’t quite resonate with the collaborative and egalitarian ethos of the Nostr community. We avoided the pitfalls of corporate booths and sales pitches, but there’s still potential to enhance our approach.

For future events, I propose reducing the number of talks and panels. An alternative could be pre-recording talks for online viewing, allowing us to utilize in-person time for more meaningful, facilitated networking. Open Spaces and similar models offer guidance on this, involving active facilitators and opportunities for attendees to propose discussion topics and participate in smaller, focused group conversations. This format emphasizes personal connections over mere information sharing, utilizing various room sizes for more inclusive and effective discussions.

This isn't to diminish the achievements of the Nostr.world team or the value of Nostrica and Nostrasia. Both events were extraordinary, offering immense learning opportunities and a platform for networking. Yet, there's always room for improvement, particularly in fostering more inclusive and impactful interactions.

Aspiration Tech’s guide on creating participatory events is a valuable resource in this regard: Aspiration Tech's Participatory Event Guide https://aspirationtech.org/papers/creating_participatory_events

The goal is to enhance the value of our gatherings by deepening the connections within our diverse community.