FOSS4G NA Explained

How to survive your first FOSS Conference

Created by Guido Stein, President, OSGEO US Local Chapter

# Overview - Who am I - Open Source - Conference Tips
# Who Am I
# Guido = Ghee + Dough
# Work - Graduated Clark University in 2002 - Worked in - Agriculture - Environmental Consulting - Planning and Development - Government & Commercial Consulting - Renewable Energy
# Tech - Worked with - Delphi, Java, C, Python, javascript, SQL - AWS, Azure, Google Cloud - Current Tooling - Postgres, PostGIS, MS Code, QGIS, DBeaver, Python, Chrome, reveal.js
# Boston - Community Profile - Academics - Startups - Government - Events - Meetup Monthly Meetings - Ignite Events - PodCamp, BarCamp, WhereCamp (Unconferences)
# FOSS Free and Open Source Software - Co-Chair, FOSS4G Boston 2017 - President, OSGEO US Local Chapter - Financial Sponsor, FOSS4G Dar Es Salaam 2018 - Financial Sponsor, FedGeoDay (D.C.) - Producer, FOSS4GNA Baltimore 2023 - Producer, FOSS4GNA STL 2024
# Why Go - Connect with others - Find new opportunities - Promte yourself within the community - Learn something new that makes your life easier - Share your trauma with people who understand (therapy)
# Summer Camp for Adults - Make lifelong friends and business contacts - Get away from your home routine - Show off your sweet skills, because companies only want sweet skills - nunchuck, bo hunting, and computer haking skills
# Ask Good Questions If you are confused, you are not alone. Help everyone out
# Introduce Yourself - Where are you from? - What session are you most excited about or did you get the most out of? - Is this your first time at this conference? - Where is the coffee?
# The Law of Two-Feet If at any time you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet and go someplace else. (Borrowed from the "un-conference" world)
# Help out - Volunteer - Organize - Invite your friends. - Participate
# Fin Guido Stein, President, OsGeo US Local Chapter