Skillshares usually provide a setting for participants to teach their peers, drawing from their areas of expertise and passion. "Skill" is broadly interpreted, spanning not only systems and software but also strategic know-how, from fundraising and process models to all manner of production techniques. The focus is on demonstrating "how to" and "how it works" in 20- to 40-minute time slots, with audiences ranging from 1 to 10 people. Workspaces for skillshares are provided, but some resources including projectors and Internet access are often limited. It is important to ask people to plan accordingly, and bring any necessary digital assets on CD as well as any required tools or gadgets.

"Tomorrow we have sessions on translating and localizing software, on gender issues, and on business strategies. A long block of time in the afternoon is set aside for free-form, peer-to-peer, "skill-shares" on such topics as using public-key cryptography, building F/OSS applications around SMS and other cellular phone technologies, tips on tuning large databases, and many others." Kwindla Kramer for ONLamp.com

The Bazaar

"The bazaar, was designed to bring implementers and developers together for discussion, brainstorming, alliance building and visioning. Lying on rugs, drinking Turkish tea, participants exchanged Open Source ideas, projects and visions, trading in currencies of creativity and learning... As the camp came to an end, a new era of close cooperation between NGOs and the free and Open Source community had just begun" Linux Magazine on Summer Source

"The Bazaar" has two meanings at Source Camps:

• It is an area of the camp that is usually laid out with rugs and cushions, where Campers can drink tea and exchange ideas, projects, visions and skills, trading in currencies of creativity and learning.
• One afternoon during the Camp it becomes a trading place for things and services. Campers give presentations, teach local songs and dances, trade goods and ideas, and practice the bazaar-style spirit of free and open source. Previous Camps have had bead necklace design sessions, Polish speaking lessons, and juggling lessons alongside security demonstrations and other tech talk. Timeframes for exchange fall in the range of 2-10 minutes, and participants are encouraged to present visual and tactile presentations.

Additional resources:

• Read what Frederick "FN" Noronha has to say about Asia Source's Bazaar, and look at photographs of Bazaars at previous Camps.

Difference between Skillshares and Bazaar

To clarify the differences between the Skill-share and The Bazaar: the Skill-share is comprised of relatively structured training sessions occuring in parallel, with sessions that last 30 minutes to an hour or more. The Bazaar resembles a big party, with all participants gathered together for free-form interaction, sharing and inspiration.

Screwdriver Sessions

"Screwdriver Sessions" are organised ad hoc, based on requests from participants. All participants are encouraged to ask for particular practical skills, or to offer to teach others. In the screwdriver sessions, participants build something together: roll up their sleeves, get out the tools and get their hands dirty. Examples from previous camps follow. The picture on this page shows a screwdriver session at Summer Source.

Asia Source

• Build a fifty dollar GPS data cable (by Schuyler Erle)
• Assemble a "Cantenna" (by Tomas Krag)
• Technical aspects of photography - Kiran Jonnalagadda

Summer Source

• Assemble network cables (by Tom Rusiecki)
• Check the inside of a laptop (by Tomas Krag)