[Please join us every year on the 25th of June at Orwell's grave. Ping @Documentally]
This year (2011) it’s a Saturday!!
Let’s discuss civil liberties, CCTV, privacy and surveillance in the company of Orwell!
[written 2008] Whilst on Twitter I mentioned in passing that I was thinking about holding a social media picnic at the site of George Orwell‘s grave and the response was pretty good. Mostly people wanted to say that they were sorry they lived so far away and that it was a good idea. (It’s easy to get to)
Why do we not have more social media meet ups outdoors? Especially in places relevant to a theme? For this very reason I have been thinking also about a social media music festival (If i say social media one more time in this post i think i may shoot myself) and/or getting some geeks out ‘Bushcrafting‘ too. (Follow @Bushtech for more on this).
Granted, at the moment as I write this it is raining outside, but on the whole the Summer is a time to be outdoors, even in the UK.
We tend to be much more chilled and relaxed when outside (i.e. no suits) and I feel the unconventional nature of an open air meet may draw out a flavour of thought we would not normally see with ties constricting blood flow to the brain.
I wish Google’s Campfire One and the Picnic Network were more like a hippy geek meet up round an actual camp fire deep in the woods. Once everyone’s arms were tired from waving their phones above their heads for a signal, who knows what the suits could spawn.
So why not just do away with most of the facilities and arrange to meet a select few people in a field somewhere..? We organise who brings the potato salad and who brings the wine and that’s all we need really.
I am up for it and I think Orwell’s Grave is a good start. It has a pub nearby, so in an emergency, the toilet can be used and I am sure when picnic supplies run low, a steady flow of good local ale would safely ensure the ideas also keep flowing.
I have bought the domain SocialMediaPicnic.com and at the moment linked it here. I’d be happy link it to a site listing other open air events going on in the world.. Anyone want to build a wiki/blog or hub site?
Let me know in a comment below if you are up for the first picnic at Orwell’s grave, I have preempted the local Vicar and she is happy to have people sat around on the grass on the afternoon of the 25th of June (Orwell’s birthday), providing no one needs burying that day.
Never-the-less.. Me and Eric will be there with bread wine and cheese, no doubt tweeting, possibly streaming, certainly drinking and eating. Well maybe not Eric. But i’ll bring enough for him too.. just in case.. 
Here is the postcode: OX14 4AE
Update:
People who have attended in the past
Me – Documentally
Dr John Perivolaris – @JohnPerivolaris
Brian Jones – @iambrianJones
Hedgewytch – @Hedgewytch
Phil Campbell @PhilCampbell
..and various locals and passers by.
NOTE: Although the event is burial dependent.. There is always the pub, which I have already tested.
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