I recently attended a workshop as part of a conference for conservation of software-based artworks that did a great job of providing advance preparation for participants.  They sent emails with detailed instructions and links to this documentation on github (participants needed to install Virtual Box and an .ova file on their machines in advance of the workshop).  

https://github.com/techfocus3/resources/tree/master/Virtual%20Machine%20Setup

There was also a link to a dropbox site participants could access for slides and supporting materials.  The organizers also gave us USB drives with the resources as soon as we arrived, but most people seemed to have already installed everything.  It worked out really well; I thought this was a great model.

-Morgan McKeehan
NDSR-NYC, Rhizome


________________________________________
From: Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Katherine N. Deibel <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2015 2:46 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Call for Code4Lib 2016 Pre-Conference Proposals

And just to add to this, even if you provide the links beforehand,
presenters should bring a few thumb drives with the software/files/etc.
as well just in case something needs to be reinstalled or there are a
few slackers who didn't read their pre-workshop e-mails.

Providing silly hats to wear while using the thumb drives is optional.


Kate Deibel, PhD | Web Applications Specialist
Information Technology Services
University of Washington Libraries
http://staff.washington.edu/deibel

--

"When Thor shows up, it's always deus ex machina."

On 10/7/2015 11:17 AM, Fox, Bobbi wrote:
> Hi, Christina!
>
> I don't have a workshop to propose, but I *do* have a plea for any workshop that is a hands-on-the-laptop experience:
>
> That the presenter of said workshop provide links, in advance, to any software needed.  If the presenter would suggest the use of vagrant or docker (or whatever else is out there), then links to those tools, plus good, easy implementation instructions, should also be supplied in advance.  In addition, if the workshop is going to feature a particular language or framework, that should be specified in advance as well.  (why no, I *don't* know how to spin up a web server on my Windoze laptop; at work I do it in Linux!)
>
> I have unfortunately been to too many workshops where the presenter either assumed a crystal-clear, fast, internet connection for the 40 participants, or assumed a lot more vagrant/docker knowledge than I, and several others, had.
>
>
> (hmm, maybe I can find someone to propose an "everything you need to learn, software package-wise, to take advantage of Code4Lib hands-on workshops...)
>
> Cheers,
> Bobbi
>