Talk:Wikimedia Nederland/Organising events: avoiding sensory overload

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The main questions in this discussion are:

• Which issues do you face during events when it comes to sensory overload?
• How do you solve these issues or how it should have been solved?
• Where can we make improvements?

Four clusters are made to help guide the conversation. Under these topics questions or subjects are listed to start a discussion. In this discussion you can share your experiences about sensory overload and how we can help you deal.

Feel free to add a cluster, question or subject.

Information flows

What is the best way to structure and design information flows (announcements, programme-schedule etc) before and during events? We are talking about both printed and digital information!

Conversation starters

• What channels of communication are best?
• Digital or paper?
• Are Telegram and WhatApp groups good or not?
• What kind of language is preferable?
• Formal, informal, long or short sentences etc.
• Layout, Illustrations, Use of colours, Higlighting, Fonts....

Suggestions, experiences, and potential solutions

• Different channels tend to work for different people, for example some prefer paper and others prefer digital. Personally, I look for communication that's direct (not leaving details implied and not buried in excessive formatting), well organized, and accurate/up-to-date. Clear and accurate maps of venues are particularly helpful. Anomie (talk) 14:22, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
• Regarding apps, there are a few potential issues: (1) people not wanting to install YetAnotherApp, (2) unclear (or no) communication as to how to subscribe to the channel in the app, and (3) overload if the app is used for trivial communication. Anomie (talk) 14:22, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
• Digital is OK, but direct/paper/analogical is even better. Last WMCON in Berlin I had trouble catching the internal network on my smartphone, so I was kind of "infoexcluded" for most of the time. But everything was well organized and not dependent on digital info for anything, so I had not any trouble with it. That was really nice.--- Darwin ^Ahoy! 15:03, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
• Requiring new apps to be installed should be avoided at all costs. People like me that use cheap smartphones with very limited space, or even non-smartphone models, would be immediately excluded from that. Telegram has been working very well for communication, so maybe that would be the only exception I would make regarding apps.--- Darwin ^Ahoy! 15:03, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
  • Quite agree. · · · Peter (Southwood) ^(talk): 16:01, 18 December 2018 (UTC)
• As a self-diagnosed mildly autistic person I struggle with informal gatherings, where several conversations happen at the same time within short distance. I can manage for a while, but pretty soon my brain shuts down, and does refuse to filter 'signal from noise' (noise being conversations close-by I'm not participating in, but also music playing, mechanic noises like coffee machine grinder etc). So in general I keep away from crowded pubs and restaurants, and even quiet ones when people gather around a long table. This in combination with introvert traits where small-talk doesn't come easy. I even shun irc where several conversations can happen intertwined (might also be a generation issue). I've been to 10 Wikimanias, but chose to no longer do so. I'm fine with the presentations, if people are reasonably quiet (as they usually are) and the sound system is OK, the door to the hall is closed. But the informal mingling between sessions and in the evening wears me down. I'm not complaining at all. 10 Wikimanias has been enough anyway. I just think I'd better speak up here, to help raise awareness. Autism is a spectrum condition, meaning people can have a lot of it, or just a little and it can manifest in widely different ways, and often is not diagnosed at all. Who knew about asperger 30 years ago? EZ 11:18, 30 October 2018 (UTC) On second thought I replaced my name with initials. You can find full name in the history. This is not entirely a safe place, as I have to take into account search and profiling engines of 2025. And I don't need advertisements promoting relevant books or courses ;-)
  • Some of these issues also affect those with hearing problems. · · · Peter (Southwood) ^(talk): 16:01, 18 December 2018 (UTC)
• I like to be able to read things on paper: when announcements can be found written down as well. Also: a limited amount of digital information is okay, but I like having a paper program for instance, instead of only a digital one. Ciell 10:52, 3 November 2018 (UTC)

Program

How can programs of events be improved ?

Conversation starters

• What does a perfect program look like?
• Use of Ice breakers, social exercises, role-play, break-out sessions, group work during sessions? OK or not?
• Do’s and dont’s for Social events.
  • Dont's: initiation rituals: "If you do this, you're one of us", often disguised as ice breakers. Sometimes they are quite fun, and do their job as icebreakers very well, but people should never feel compelled to participate on them.--- Darwin ^Ahoy! 17:38, 25 October 2018 (UTC)
  • I have been told that some people are severely stressed by being asked to talk to a stranger sitting next to them. It does not bother me at all, but for some it is just not on even to be asked to do this. · · · Peter (Southwood) ^(talk): 16:06, 18 December 2018 (UTC)

Suggestions, experiences, and potential solutions

• A quiet room to relax/decompress in the same space the event is happening. A "safe room", but kind of a zen space, not something oppressive.--- Darwin ^Ahoy! 17:34, 25 October 2018 (UTC)
• Events that involve putting many people into a loud, crowded room are a common negative experience. This can range from ice breakers encouraging people to "introduce yourself to people around you" to the usual after-hours social event consisting of plentiful alcoholic beverages and loud music.

  At some events there have been "small group dinners" (sign up sheets for groups of around 10 people to go to various restaurants), which seem to have worked reasonably well but have the disadvantage of discouraging recombination of the groups. Anomie (talk) 14:32, 26 October 2018 (UTC)

• Strong +1 to Anomie. I get completely overwhelmed in most massive-group-participation events from audio-overload. Too many people talking at once (and all getting steadily louder to make themselves heard/understood), often with music in the background. Poster-sessions, full-audience-participation segments in keynotes, and hectic restaurants, were situations I had to leave early (or be 'rude' and pull out my laptop) at the last Wikimania. However, I do understand that these same activities can 'energize/invigorate' other people. A quieter corner/hallway often helps. Quiddity (talk) 16:15, 18 December 2018 (UTC)
• Many people is an issue on itself. I had some rather bad experiences with Wikimania in London, and some other non-Wikimedia event the year after; since then I have decided to simply not go to any event with more than 80-100 people. Crowded rooms are another put-off. I prefer a place where I have a table for myself and a few others, with the rest far enough away that they don't interfere in whatever we're discussing. Something like a standing reception is too much even without any music. - Andre Engels (talk) 11:00, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

Venue and overnight accomodation

What makes a venue a good venue and how can we make an environment more inclusive?

Conversation starters

• Room with low sensory input (sensory input comes e.g. from noise sources or glaring lights)
• Easy and safe access to fresh air/green space
• Seating arrangements
• How to organise/regulate photography during an event? Should flash light be forbidden?
• How should buffets for lunch or dinner be set up?
• Anything about the hotel and hostel?
• Specific requirements for rooms?
• What about hotel room sharing?

Suggestions, experiences, and potential solutions

• I've really liked it when the venue and accommodation were in the same place. Requiring room sharing would be a strong influence against my attending. Possibly-limited quantities of buffet items for people with dietary restrictions are often an issue, both for people with restrictions ("They ran out!") and people without ("I'd like to have some of that, but is there enough for everyone?"). Anomie (talk) 14:41, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
• I like a bit of outside space: the rooftop terrace in Montreal for instance. Nice and quit, outside of the whole buzzing atmosphere. For me, also room sharing is difficult, but I can manage as long as I get my rest. I deffinitly like quiet floors in the hotels, with no people/children screaming outside and doors banging. Ciell (talk) 10:55, 3 November 2018 (UTC)
• Please turn of the 'musac', the music that's just there to fill the empty space in elevators of waiting rooms for instance. Ciell (talk) 10:57, 3 November 2018 (UTC)

Other

There are many other things that can be helpful which haven’t been mentioned.

Conversation starters

• Transportation to venue
• Application process for funding

Suggestions, experiences, and potential solutions

• Communication of transportation schedules is often an issue. Often there are no specifics, and when there are specifics it's not uncommon for the stated schedule to not be well-followed by those driving the buses. Anomie (talk) 14:46, 26 October 2018 (UTC)