Re: [Fsuk-manchester] FOSDEM 2009

[Andrew John Hughes]

2008/11/13 John Southern <address@hidden>:
> On Wednesday 12 November 2008 21:06:49 Lucy wrote:
>> FOSDEM is a two-day free and non-commercial event organized by
>> volunteers to promote the widespread use of Free and Open Source
>> software. It's in Brussels, Belgium and is a good opportunity to meet
>> like minded people (and sample some decent beer). It's also a good
>> opportunity to promote Manchester Free Software.
>>
>> Would anyone be interested in going along? I've never been before, can
>> anyone who's been previously tell me what it's like?
>
> Fantastic fun.
> Most turn up on the Friday as you really need to be at the pub event in the
> evening. Every year this has been at the Roy except last year when we changed
> to the Delirium Cafe.
> This is a social night and everyone talks about what is new, what are the
> latest trends and how to solve problems. The only worry is lectures start the
> next morning so you will need some sleep at some point.
>
> Saturday we register (get your Tshirt if you have paid the donation) and head
> for the main lecture theatre.
> Welcome talk and a couple of keynotes.
> Debian then normally have a keysigning that you will have needed to have
> signed up for before the event.
>
> Off to the main talks. Here you have a wide choice and each year the number of
> streams gets bigger. Not only talks grouped into subject streams but
> development rooms that are announced (KDE, Gnome, Mozilla etc) but some that
> will just occur because a like minded group want to do something and have
> found space.
> You can always go to the lightening talks which change every fifteen to twenty
> minutes.
>
> You may see people asleep in some lectures or just in quiet corridors. Please
> try not to disturb them.
>
> Saturday night everyone makes their own entertainment. Restaurants are
> normally full for large groups, but a chance to have a good cheap meal and a
> drink. From experience this is not normally a full on as the Friday night
> because listening to talks can be hard work.
>
> For those that did not tag along us last year, we ended up in the Absinthe
> bar, then that funny kebab shop, then that nightclub, then that.... you get
> the idea.
>
> However most slept.
>
> Sunday is lectures all day. Finishes about 5pm. The problem is while the Euro
> star will get you back for 8pm, by the time you cross London no trains north.
>
> Travel - From the UK most go by Eurostar (11 or 12noon from Waterloo)
> Alternatives are fly or even the coach. Coach out is OK but coming back
> Brussels is not the first stop, so you might be split up for the sleepy trip
> home.
>
> Car is an option but would require planning otherwise too expensive for one.
>
> It can be very cold especially at 6am while waiting for others to arrive.
>
> Accommodation - There are recommended hotels, but we usually end up in the
> youth hostels. A group booking means we have dorm rooms to ourselves.
> They will not let girls and boys share.
>
> The UK group is normally quite large and everyone is welcome. If we want to
> make a FSUK-Manchester group we could ask for a table, but they are probably
> all booked by now. It is possible to just have a BirdsOfaFeather meeting
> (normally on the Sunday)
>
> Normally a few stalls, but the aim is to find out about some new things or
> just chat with everyone else.
>
> A lot do not drink but join everyone else for the talk. New friends and old.
>
> It is very light hearted and the main thing is to enjoy yourself.
>
> This does make out as though I did nothing but drink, but that is not true. I
> am pretty sure I slept through some lectures as well.
>
> Now admittedly we do have our own guide of nightclubs, bars, dens of iniquity,
> places to eat cheap etc., but you can always do whatever you want.
>
> The talks are varied and you could always try watching some on the website,
> however, it is the light chat that is the most useful. Especially when
> someone says "So, what's new?"
>
> Of course you need at least one other opinion as I might be biased.
>
> Yes it is 2:30am. Yes I am fighting with a Solaris box that does not want to
> start the cluster, yes I am longing for that warm glow from the skull out to
> the tip of my nose from that little green fairy.
>
> John
>
>
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>

It's usually a crazy couple of days that go by really fast and give
you a chance to meet lots of FOSS developers face to face.  As to
getting there, I've found it easier to go via Eurostar (which now goes
from St Pancras) rather than messing about with flights, but I'm not
as close to an airport as you folks in Manchester :)

Hope some of you decide to go, it's worth the experience,
-- 
Andrew :-)

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