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FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

2023.fossy.us

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Re: FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

#11

Post by gchadwick »

LVB wrote: post #10
pantalaimon wrote: post #6

Still requiring masks & tests is kind of odd in 2023

Yeah it’s an interesting choice. I’ve not been to a conference in forever and have lost touch of what the norm is. I wonder whether the policy is a net up/downside as they try to build interest and get the thing established. My hunch is that it hurts them in attendance, but idk.

I guess it depends upon where in the world you go though my recent conference experience is definitely a post-COVID one. No rules, no masks, no social distancing etc (RISC-V Summit Europe, Barcelona).

I went to the US RISC-V summit in December (San Jose) and they had little badges (red/yellow/green to indicate how comfortable you were with people getting close) and I think they asked people to wear masks but very few did. They also asked for a pre-conference test but I don't think they were checking up on results.

Mandatory, proper face fitting N95 masks seems out of step there. Though I can appreciate it may aid some in attending it will certainly discourage others.

Re: FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

#12

Post by waynecochran »

anon291 wrote: post #9
pantalaimon wrote: post #6

Still requiring masks & tests is kind of odd in 2023

Thanks for calling this out. I live right near by and was on the verge of payment, but I'm not wasting my time with that.

Yeah i live not too far away and was thinking of signing up. Thats a deal breaker for me. Seems to go beyond a concern for health into a weird paranoia.

Re: FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

#14

Post by rapnie »

pantalaimon wrote: post #6

Still requiring masks & tests is kind of odd in 2023

In my country it is like covid never happened. Yet, there are quite a few people for whom covid is still a threat. People with long covid for instance or respiratory illnesses. There are Free Software conferences that take that into account, as part of inclusion.

Re: FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

#15

Post by ghaff »

gchadwick wrote: post #11
LVB wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah it’s an interesting choice. I’ve not been to a conference in forever and have lost touch of what the norm is. I wonder whether the policy is a net up/downside as they try to build interest and get the thing established. My hunch is that it hurts them in attendance, but idk.

I guess it depends upon where in the world you go though my recent conference experience is definitely a post-COVID one. No rules, no masks, no social distancing etc (RISC-V Summit Europe, Barcelona). I went to the US RISC-V summit in December (San Jose) and they had little badges (red/yellow/green to indicate how comfortable you were with people getting close) and I think they asked people to wear masks but very few…

Basically, Linux Foundation events are back to “normal.” Kubecon in April said that they weren’t allowed by local law to mandate requirements but it was pretty clear that was a fig leaf for what they wanted to do anyway.

They did have the comfort level stickers which seems very reasonable.

I think you do still see some community oriented events feeling like they need to bend over backwards to accommodate anyone who still doesn’t feel comfortable around unmasked and unvaccinated people. That’s where the sentiment comes from IMO.

Re: FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

#17

Post by Aachen »

thesuperbigfrog wrote: post #4
detaro wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the first instance of this conference, which they intend to run yearly.

Ah. That makes sense. Maybe it would be more clear as: "The first annual Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference" Instead of: "The first Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference" Putting "annual" in the title makes that meaning / context more clear to me.

As if fosdem isn't annual. It would possibly confuse me more tbh.

"The first instance of" or so might be more clear but, yeah, the catchiness degrades with every attempt at making it clearer. One might even be lead to think that "Free and Open Source Software Yearly" is not an amazingly unambiguous name to use in a world with fosdem, t-dose, and probably others.

Re: FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

#18

Post by 3g0st »

anon291 wrote: post #9
pantalaimon wrote: post #6

Still requiring masks & tests is kind of odd in 2023

Thanks for calling this out. I live right near by and was on the verge of payment, but I'm not wasting my time with that.

In a place where people may be gathering from around the nation or even internationally, i'm not sure what the problem is here, covid or not. I'm sorry that our immunocompromised friends or other at-risk individuals are not important enough for you to change your mind. Panels are always incredibly stuffy and full of odors and other people's coughs and breaths.

Re: FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

#19

Post by ksimukka »

rapnie wrote: post #14
pantalaimon wrote: post #6

Still requiring masks & tests is kind of odd in 2023

In my country it is like covid never happened. Yet, there are quite a few people for whom covid is still a threat. People with long covid for instance or respiratory illnesses. There are Free Software conferences that take that into account, as part of inclusion.

I hear what you are saying. IMO, the mask and covid measures in Portland feels to me to be more political based.

I really don’t understand the logic in America when it comes to the current thinking about covid measures.

You could say I have a Scandinavian perspective to this, but here in Norway everyone listened and trusted to what the government recommended and/or mandated. It has been a little more than a year since the last pandemic measure was lifted and we have been back to “normal”.

Re: FOSSY 2023, Portland: Free and Open Source Software Yearly conference

#20

Post by josephcsible »

pantalaimon wrote: post #6

Still requiring masks & tests is kind of odd in 2023

I'm glad they're at least being honest in advance about it, so I didn't have to waste any time thinking about attending. What really stinks is when conferences pretend to be normal in advance but suddenly spring insanity like this on everyone the day they start.
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