Best OSS-Watch conference ever, so far?
I was surprised by how well today's event went. Despite being in Edinburgh, despite being at the same time as the anarchist protests against the G8 (what self-respecting free software revolutionary wouldn't prefer to be rampaging through the streets?), it was a really good day with a great line-up and good attendance.
And I'm not just saying that because I know the OSS Watch cabal are inclined to peruse these hallowed pages from time to time. Hello, guys ;-)
Maybe it's because the subject was closer to my heart (building open source communities). I suspect it's actually because some of the talks were genuinely interesting and informative, even for a FLOSS old-timer.
I found Jim Farmer's presentation to have interesting insights despite feeling slightly unfocused (a generic presentation of which we only saw parts?). It would have been interesting to explore the issues raised in more depth: I was fascinated hearing how an open source Siebel would make more money than a closed-source Siebel.
Helen Sharp's talk on co-located agile development was brilliant. She presented research from five different software development companies she had visited, sharing their experiences of XP and what worked and what didn't. XP is a methodology Luminas has taken aspects from, but never fully implemented (it's certainly difficult to implement fully with smaller development teams, I think). Despite Helen's lack of an open source background, or maybe because of it, the session was entertaining and extremely useful.
The panel discussion kicked off some lively debates (such as what happens to a software project if the lead developer is offered $75m?). It was a shame most of the delegates had left by this point to catch trains, throw molotovs, or whatever.
What could have been done differently? Well, the venue was a challenge, and I left with eyes stinging. Excessive aircon is not as good as an open window when it comes to keeping people awake. This was out of OSS Watch's hands, as they were hit by a last minute venue change. The food was curious, though I may have missed the best of it as I was talking and prepping for my presentation. I certainly enjoyed the trip up north - Edinburgh is a wonderful place regardless of the trouble some poxy politicians are causing. I don't think there was anything I could complain about.
All in all, a pretty good day. Next stop: Manchester, IWMW 2005.
Posted by savs at July 4, 2005 6:31 PM