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GUADEC... Its been fun

Aug 23, 2016

I’m not really much of a traveler or outgoing in any way. So when I was invited to GUADEC in Karlsruhe (Germany), I wasn’t very sure about it. It took some encouragement from my mentor and a fellow GSoC mate to convince me. And… I’m glad I went!

It was one of those things that I could not have experienced from my comfy chair to which I reserve myself for the greater part of my day. In fact this trip makes me feel I might be wrong about social interactions not being time well spent for me (but then again I don’t exactly buckle down into ambitious projects, so you’re free to call me ignorant).

This wasn’t a conference of geeky people talking geeky stuff (was it?) but a reflection of the GNOME community as a whole. Discussions involved both experienced as well as young members or interns like myself; and the place was full of developers, designers, translators and not to mention the organizers/volunteers who made sure throughout the conference that we didn’t have to worry about logistics and stuff. Oh and big thanks to you guys for the food and the vouchers. I made sure they were put to use. :D

So in short this is how I’d summarize my experience:

  • Going to new places and meeting people was fun.
  • Some of the conference talks really got me thinking.
  • Open source is more than just making your code being open for others to see.
  • Productivity and interest in a BoF session is directly proportional to your contribution and how much you learn.
  • Travelling together or sharing a dinner table can spark interesting conversations.
  • I had a peek into the vision that the members have for GNOME.
  • I had some great time with my mentor.
  • I don’t actually suck on the stage (I gave a lightning talk!).

I’m sorry if using a list is a crappy way of documenting one’s travels. But overall I’d say this visit has given me a different outlook and confidence towards being a contributor to GNOME and the open source community in general. Thank you GNOME for sponsoring me.

guadec-sponsorship-badge

And another big thanks to the organizers for arranging the picnic and other lovely excursions! I’ll make sure to provide a helping hand next time.

By the way… I used to think the ‘G’ was silent. :P

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