FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
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Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#2gyptazy provided a recap of the FOSDEM conference in Brussels, Belgium and it sounds great again. But his concerns about scaling are real and so, also I had often no chance to get a place for a talk. Wondering if it's still worth to get onsite next year or just to watch the recordings afterwards.
Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#3With the car? I go by train, and then either by bike or tram. Much easier
Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#4With the car? I go by train, and then either by bike or tram. Much easier
> Like every year, I decided to travel to FOSDEM by car. It is not the most relaxed option, but it comes with one very important advantage: arriving early enough to secure a parking spot directly on campus. That also means the journey starts very early in the morning, long before the city fully wakes up.
Curiously backwards. That's one way of reframing a disadvantage as an advantage. The train connection seems to be 3h15m to 3h30m from Neuss train station to FOSDEM. A single connection for the long-distance train in Cologne, the rest is local public transport within Brussels.
(The OP may been /s without me realizing.)
Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#5Already a recap?
Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#6With the car? I go by train, and then either by bike or tram. Much easier
> Like every year, I decided to travel to FOSDEM by car. It is not the most relaxed option, but it comes with one very important advantage: arriving early enough to secure a parking spot directly on campus. That also means the journey starts very early in the morning, long before the city fully wakes up. Curiously backwards. That's one way of reframing a disadvantage as an advantage. The train connection seems to be…
The OP goes on to genuinely talk about the advantage of being able to leave when they desire (usually only attending day 1), and the observation that their leaving early was worthwhile, as they were first in line to access the car parking area —- so it would seem very much to not be /s.
Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Like every year, I decided to travel to FOSDEM by car. It is not the most relaxed option, but it comes with one very important advantage: arriving early enough to secure a parking spot directly on campus. That also means the journey starts very early in the morning, long before the city fully wakes up. Curiously backwards. That's one way of reframing a disadvantage as an advantage. The train connection seems to be…
The OP goes on to genuinely talk about the advantage of being able to leave when they desire (usually only attending day 1), and the observation that their leaving early was worthwhile, as they were first in line to access the car parking area —- so it would seem very much to not be /s.
Which probably also relates to DB pricing.
Being flexible with DB is expensive. Getting somewhere at all is generally cheap. Getting somewhere at a reasonable time is usually ok~ish priced. But being able to just take any train? €€€
Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#8gyptazy provided a recap of the FOSDEM conference in Brussels, Belgium and it sounds great again. But his concerns about scaling are real and so, also I had often no chance to get a place for a talk. Wondering if it's still worth to get onsite next year or just to watch the recordings afterwards.
Hello from a packed devroom.
You can't attend all 30+ tracks at once anyway, you need to see recordings afterwards anyway if you are remotely interested in consuming the conference. I'd say the experience is just as much about meeting the people behind all the internet handles, getting into a full lecture room one talk in advance and listening in to something you otherwise wouldn't, join something bigger than email lists and matrix rooms, it's a unique wibe you can't find anywhere else.
I wonder if it naturally regulates itself in the way that people who get fed up by the queues don't come back the next year. You can definitely start by adding measures to limit the capacity or whatnot, but in both cases you exclude a certain part of the potential participants. I think I'd rather keep the wibe and ensure people can at least experience it once, than start gatekeeping.
Also, the fries are good.
Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
The OP goes on to genuinely talk about the advantage of being able to leave when they desire (usually only attending day 1), and the observation that their leaving early was worthwhile, as they were first in line to access the car parking area —- so it would seem very much to not be /s.
Which probably also relates to DB pricing. Being flexible with DB is expensive . Getting somewhere at all is generally cheap. Getting somewhere at a reasonable time is usually ok~ish priced. But being able to just take any train? €€€
And reliable. This is why I (near the border) drive across the border and take the train through Belgium.
https://belgiantrain.be for finding trains and tickets to/from the nearest station, Etterbeek (or use another station if you want to take the tram, where you just swipe a bank card). The ticket is valid for any train going to your destination. For those Same with the Netherlands. Sadly no intercity stations have free parking but Nuth is on the path north and the highway exit basically ends in its parking lot. After a few stops you can switch to an intercity to Amsterdam
Re: FOSDEM 2026 – Open-Source Conference in Brussels – Day#1 Recap
#10gyptazy provided a recap of the FOSDEM conference in Brussels, Belgium and it sounds great again. But his concerns about scaling are real and so, also I had often no chance to get a place for a talk. Wondering if it's still worth to get onsite next year or just to watch the recordings afterwards.
Hello from a packed devroom. You can't attend all 30+ tracks at once anyway, you need to see recordings afterwards anyway if you are remotely interested in consuming the conference. I'd say the experience is just as much about meeting the people behind all the internet handles, getting into a full lecture room one talk in advance and listening in to something you otherwise wouldn't, join something bigger than email l…
The most important realization about FOSDEM is really:
There's no way you can fully experience it or do it optimal.
It's really about making sure you get value out of it, listen to some interesting talks and meet some people.