For years I used to say:
I could not afford not to be at FOSDEM.
FOSDEM 2027 will be my last one.
All my FOSDEM trips
FOSDEM 2007 was my first conference abroad. I had just left my job as a PHP programmer to move to a lucrative Embedded Linux contractor one. Money was tight so I shared hotel room with a friend and one company paid for my flights (POZ->MUC->BRU and back).
The conference was great, my online contacts got connected with faces etc.
I skipped the 2008 one as my daughter was about to be born.
After that, I attended every single one — with 2012 being the only exception, because someone had an idea of having Linaro Connect in San Francisco area right after it.
For the last two editions (2025 and 2026) I took my daughter with me to show her how “my people” look like.
Each time, I met up with both friends and random strangers. We chatted, joked, ate, and had a few beers. Had a good time.
Why not any more then?
FOSDEM grows and grows each year, with the last two editions (2025 and 2026) crossing the one thousand talk mark. There are so many to choose from, yet each year I select fewer and fewer.
My interests in the FOSS world have changed during those twenty years. Several times. And my list of things I do not want to hear about grows as well.
Also, as I grow older, I get more tired with crowds. And FOSDEM has real crowds each year.
I do not want to go for a conference and then spending time in a search for some quiet space to get some rest. And then go back into the crowd.
20th FOSDEM then
So I have decided to go one more time. To be at FOSDEM for the 20th time. Catch me there ;D