It’s coming whether you know it or not. The Portland-based conference with the logo that is simultaneously bridge, brain, and circuit-board is happening this week. Here are four reasons why I’m spending my time at Open Source Bridge.
- The tech is tight. Seriously, take a look at the session list. Agile Javascript testing, Command-Line Kung-Fu, Scala for recovering Java developers: there’s a plethora of cool talks going down. The difficulty won’t be finding something interesting, it’ll be deciding whether I want to learn how to have fun in n-dimensions or how to develop on Google’s Android platform.
- The brains are big. I don’t know about you, but I’m don’t exactly spend every day rubbing elbows with the hottest developers in open-source. Core members of many great open-source projects are speaking, not to mention the many others who are just there for the ride. I’ll have to check my drool at the door, because my jaw will be slack when I’m being schooled on the Linux kernel by core developers.
- The openness of it all. Open Source Bridge is 100% volunteer-run. Friday is an all-day unconference. Have an idea about what to do with an extra exhibit hall? Post it on the wiki. Want to run a code sprint? Schedule one. Revel in the glory of a conference with the perfect mix of top-down planning and open community.
- The beer is flowing. Portland has the most breweries per capita in the country. You can drink them in the 24-hour hacker lounge, or you can just attend a session like CodeIgniter As Drinking Game. Your choice.
