velocity of argon (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} romen_dreamer) wrote,@ 2009-04-17 12:26:00 |
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Notacon impressions
Sitting at Notacon. The first set of talks doesn't include anything I'm dreadfully interested in, so I'm sitting on bench next to the registration desk people-watching. Planning on keeping this going as kind of a whatever-I-think-to-type entry mostly for my own record, but which will be posted publicly because some of you may be looking for ways to procrastinate studying or other responsibility and I'd like to help you out there.
Guys sitting on this squishy bench next to me are gossiping about somebody. Talking about him being socially inept. I don't know who they're talking about but I suppose it's not too unexpected - 300 geeks get together, a lot of them have strong opinions and stronger personalities and not much social training. A little bit sad, though. Everyone's supposed to all get along and not be political.
So far I've found all the people I was looking forward to seeing (i.e. the ones I don't see on First Fridays), except for the ones who aren't going to show up. They're demo people mostly. I've been hit on by the con organizer, which is about as significant as having your hand sniffed by someone else's family dog. I have my two staff t-shirts and badge (with my IRC handle already on it, they like me that much), my attendee t-shirt and badge, and some stickers.
I keep seeing people my parents' age walking around. There's also a small child running around in front of me. I love how our hacker con is a family affair... and right next to the small child, one of our main presenters/organizers is talking about being recommended cocaine as a remedy for norovirus (which he apparently had - maybe I can blame him for the outbreak at MSU). Even better.
His talk is actually starting pretty soon. It should prove to be entertaining. Think I'll go stake out a spot in the room next to a power strip so my laptop doesn't die in an hour. (Note: that's on 24% battery. I heart this laptop. Only problem is, it recharges almost as slowly as it discharges)
I need to find somebody to hang around wtih who's free to wander with me instead of confined to a security shift.
People keep smiling at me as they walk past :) And I don't even think they're reading my t-shirt ("BROWNCOAT"), which is mostly obscured by my hair.
--
There was a talk. Jason, who is one of those people with strong personalities, was using Super Mario 64 as a basis for talking about how to develop software that people besides you can understand, and how to get people interested in things, and also to talk about how awesome the spirit of the Mario franchise (my keyboard just skipped several letters the first time I typed that, it came out as "france") is, especially compared to stuff like Halo. I'll be showing this talk to my flatmates once it comes out online.
--
Consuite now. Food is free to us, but was ridiculously overpriced for the con to purchase from the hotel, which is the only way the hotel would allow us a consuite. This means I'm going to have to go in search of real food sometime today, so I don't feel too guilty about costing the con a lot of money. (Though up to $10 worth I don't mind, because that's the extra I paid for registering after the earlybird deadline.)
Also reusing my teabag. Cost the hotel an extra $.12 or so for the hot water. Maybe even up to $.25 since they have to pay someone to refill the coffee urns. Nyah.
Think I might wander over to the N6C room now, see if I can bug some people to teach me some stuff. Radio people are always willing to talk about their hardware. (Yes you're permitted to bing that.) I'll post this and start a new entry for later if I feel the need to continue my talking.
Sitting at Notacon. The first set of talks doesn't include anything I'm dreadfully interested in, so I'm sitting on bench next to the registration desk people-watching. Planning on keeping this going as kind of a whatever-I-think-to-type entry mostly for my own record, but which will be posted publicly because some of you may be looking for ways to procrastinate studying or other responsibility and I'd like to help you out there.
Guys sitting on this squishy bench next to me are gossiping about somebody. Talking about him being socially inept. I don't know who they're talking about but I suppose it's not too unexpected - 300 geeks get together, a lot of them have strong opinions and stronger personalities and not much social training. A little bit sad, though. Everyone's supposed to all get along and not be political.
So far I've found all the people I was looking forward to seeing (i.e. the ones I don't see on First Fridays), except for the ones who aren't going to show up. They're demo people mostly. I've been hit on by the con organizer, which is about as significant as having your hand sniffed by someone else's family dog. I have my two staff t-shirts and badge (with my IRC handle already on it, they like me that much), my attendee t-shirt and badge, and some stickers.
I keep seeing people my parents' age walking around. There's also a small child running around in front of me. I love how our hacker con is a family affair... and right next to the small child, one of our main presenters/organizers is talking about being recommended cocaine as a remedy for norovirus (which he apparently had - maybe I can blame him for the outbreak at MSU). Even better.
His talk is actually starting pretty soon. It should prove to be entertaining. Think I'll go stake out a spot in the room next to a power strip so my laptop doesn't die in an hour. (Note: that's on 24% battery. I heart this laptop. Only problem is, it recharges almost as slowly as it discharges)
I need to find somebody to hang around wtih who's free to wander with me instead of confined to a security shift.
People keep smiling at me as they walk past :) And I don't even think they're reading my t-shirt ("BROWNCOAT"), which is mostly obscured by my hair.
--
There was a talk. Jason, who is one of those people with strong personalities, was using Super Mario 64 as a basis for talking about how to develop software that people besides you can understand, and how to get people interested in things, and also to talk about how awesome the spirit of the Mario franchise (my keyboard just skipped several letters the first time I typed that, it came out as "france") is, especially compared to stuff like Halo. I'll be showing this talk to my flatmates once it comes out online.
--
Consuite now. Food is free to us, but was ridiculously overpriced for the con to purchase from the hotel, which is the only way the hotel would allow us a consuite. This means I'm going to have to go in search of real food sometime today, so I don't feel too guilty about costing the con a lot of money. (Though up to $10 worth I don't mind, because that's the extra I paid for registering after the earlybird deadline.)
Also reusing my teabag. Cost the hotel an extra $.12 or so for the hot water. Maybe even up to $.25 since they have to pay someone to refill the coffee urns. Nyah.
Think I might wander over to the N6C room now, see if I can bug some people to teach me some stuff. Radio people are always willing to talk about their hardware. (Yes you're permitted to bing that.) I'll post this and start a new entry for later if I feel the need to continue my talking.
