YAPC: Social
Fri Jul 1 2005 11:19 MDT #So the final day of YAPC wrapped up with a Keynote by Chip Salzenburg, that was not a keynote, and depressing to boot. That was followed by a Townhall that was interesting - but focused on monetary issues, and in a needlessly down way. That coupled with an early flight had me less than upbeat way when thinking about the social aspects of what was an excellent technical conference.
Obviously the perl community is often dysfunctional, and loves to point at other dysfunctional parts and tell them to clean up - and that sucks. But my main take away hear was on the social aspects of small cons in general I think.
YAPC feels a lot like a youth hostel on a major circuit. You show up, meet new people, hang and talk, and drink and drink. You become "friends" with people (because) you 90% never expect to see again, and the jet on to the next locale. This is dysfunctional -- though infinitely preferable to the alternative of living in a little shell and doing jack all. And perhaps the next year/city you see them again, and hang or not. Perhaps some small percentage of people, who show up enough and are actually interesting, etc become real friends, or (in the case of cons) at least email correspondents.
On the whole it feels unreal.
And I'm very, very happy to be home to the casita, the cat, and the girlfriend!
So it does occur to me that maybe this is exactly how naturally gregarious people do things -- lots of contacts, whom they weed down to the really people though more constant contact. Maybe this is all just that I'm too much of an introvert to enjoy it.
And of course this was the down side -- there was lots of good stuff, meeting up with old friends, and interesting acquaintances. Eating well -- and particularly on this trip drinking well( at Smokeless Joe's)
Update: As I note deep in my next entry, I composed this sucker on a day when I had to 3 hours sleep, woke up with a cold and feeling rather surly. Ooops.