Talks at FISL 10

Greetings from Porto Alegre, Brasil!

It's my second trip to Brasil and I'm already having a blast. Heading for dinner soon with Nanda, but just a quick update before I head out the door. I'm giving two talks at FISL 10: The 10th International Forum on Free Software. Tomorrow, I'll be talking about Google Summer of Code and hope that any all GSoCers at FISL will turn up and share their experiences with the audience. Talk starts at 13:00. On Friday, I'll be talking about Community Management Basics, and once again hope everyone can come by and share their collective wisdom.

We're also planning a GSoCer meetup after my talk tomorrow, and you can join the planning discussion in this thread.

I owe the world a write up on the Summer of Code BoF at Open Source Bridge. It will happen, really. I have notes. 

Bridging the Gaps

You know it's bad when your Mom bothers you to update your blog.

Doings in May included a return to BSDCan to discuss Open Source for Newbies along with the fabulous Cat Allman. We tailored the talk to discuss how more experienced contributors can make communities most welcoming for new folks and got great feedback from the audience, which will be integrating into the presentation.

As always, we're looking for useful advice on helping newbies get involved, so if you want to share your thoughts, please find one of us. We'll be speaking at Open Source Bridge in Portland on the opening day of the conference, so if you happen to find yourself in the Silicon Forest please pop by to see us. I'm particularly excited about Open Source Bridge given the event's focus on Open Source Citizenship. I'm looking forward to hearing more from my fellow attendees about what this citizenship looks like to them and exploring the concept of what being a part of the "community" means in terms that are a bit less, well, fuzzy.

I'll be denting extensively from the conference if you're interested in hearing more about these conversations.

I also spent two weeks on holiday in the Netherlands and Los Angeles. Highlights included the orange and white tabby that followed me on my walk through the Dutch countryside, late night partying with a bunch of Aramco Brats and my conversation on photos with the kindly elder Dutchman who parked beside me at a cafe in Amsterdam while I was reading Pratchett's Equal Rites:

Him: So you're on your fourth visit to Holland?

Me: Yes, it's one of my favorite places on Earth. I'm heading to Keukenhof tomorrow and plan to walk through a field of tulips.

Him: Have you taken many photos on your trip?

Me: No. I don't really take photos. I prefer my memories.

Him: Wow. You don't hear many people say that these days. Good for you.

We enjoyed a cup of tea and other philosophical musings before he continued his day elsewhere. Have I mentioned how much I love the Dutch? And if you're wondering why I never post photos from my adventures, well, now you know.

Please take note that if you do go to Keukenhof, you don't really get to walk through a field of tulips. You do, however, get to wander through a truly spectacular hedge maze.

And.... Hi Mom! (My only^H^H^H^H most loyal reader.... :)