Geek of the Week

Great geek week. Busy.

Monday: Hive76 MMMM  The results.

Thursday: Ubuntu 11.10 Release Party at National Mechanics.

Back story: The Ubuntu PA Local Community Team has suffered a little due to its success. Many of the original core members have moved out of state, and on to bigger and better things. Life has gotten in the way, with work and families. All good things, in their own rights, but has also created a decline in activity.

More backstory: At FOSSCON 2011, the keynote address, given by Elizabeth Krumbach, made me realize that if you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Thanks Lyz! So after being inspired at FOSSCON, I decided to take on the role of 'Team Contact' for the Ubuntu US PA Local Community Team (LoCo). In the Ubuntu Community, it is suggested that the Team Contact be an Ubuntu Member. So I applied, and was awarded Ubuntu Membership.

Back to the party, now that you're all caught up in the journey to get here. Organizing the Philly Area release parties, and the venues in the past, was a little easier with a strong core to ensure success. All we really had to do was agree on a location area, verify that we could all get there, and book a venue. I would just find what area everyone agreed would be ok, and then booked at one of my clients diners or bars.

This time would be different. No real core. Lyz was going to be in town for the release day, and would be staying in Center City, Philadelphia. She suggested in irc that we have a release party since she would be in town.

Brilliant.

I asked my friends over at Hive76 where would be a good place in the Northern Liberty/Old City area to have a Release Party. (I really wanted to have it at Barcade, but their opening in time to adequately promote the event was questionable.) One of the suggestions was National Mechanics. I emailed them about our plans, and they were more than accommodating. I emailed the event info to GEEKADELPHIA, and they tweeted and blogged it. Awesome, thank you so much.

The morning of the party the RSVP list was looking like 20 people. Not bad. An email in the morning from the 732 area code (Central Jersey) asking if it was too late to come to the party. Never too late!

National Mechanics had 2 tables reserved for us. I put out some leftover 11.04 cds from Software Freedom Day to mark our tables. The people started to come. The givens, me, Randy, Lyz and MJ.
Then the magic started. The 2 brothers from PACS, waltman, Scott from PACS.  Then the real magic started. The 'new' people. Sorry I couldn't get to everyone, but the 2 tables were so packed, and so much was going on.....it was.....pretty great!

Things I noticed: an upgrade from 11.04 to 11.10 on an eeepc by a Pumpcon organizer. (How cool is that?) A fresh install with an awesome looking cd. Cisco employee, Java developer, the NJ folk, and more. Everyone having a blast, checking out 11.10, and feeling all the geek empathy.

Forums, irc, and mailing lists are ok, but when we get together, irl, it's really magical. We owe it to ourselves to do it more often.

Thanks to all who came out, already looking forward to the next event.

Saturday: PACS

Great Geek Week.