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General Discussion => Other Discussions => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: Jim Bauwens on April 22, 2013, 02:17:47 pm

Title: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Jim Bauwens on April 22, 2013, 02:17:47 pm
This has been something on my mind for some time now, so I thought it would be best to organize a poll about it.
Would you be interested in joining a calculator event in Europe if it would be big enough? The calculator community is huge, and as far as I know there haven't been big meetups before. Having a large meeting will benefit the community and can be a very interesting experience.

This is a serious question, because I'm willing to organize something if I get enough positive responses. I don't have any big plans yes, just want to know your guys opinions :)

Cemetech thread: http://www.cemetech.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=203922#203922
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: aeTIos on April 22, 2013, 02:20:40 pm
If it's in The Netherlands or just over the border in Germany or Belgium, yes.
France or further: nope :\
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: floris497 on April 22, 2013, 02:22:44 pm
If it's in The Netherlands or just over the border in Germany or Belgium, yes.
France or further: nope :\
same for me.

looks fun to me but what can i expect from it, i'm not a great programmer or mathematical genius :P (and i have exams soon)
Title: Re: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on April 22, 2013, 02:23:50 pm
I think it should be located near the France/Belgium border or something. Or Netherlands/Belgium could do if the French members can go that far.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Nick on April 22, 2013, 02:28:05 pm
I would love to do so, France, Netherlands or (with preference) Belgium, but it doesn't really matter.
Belgium seems like a nice meetup place though, it's kinda in the middle of The Netherlands and France, and Germany and others aren't that far away either :)

I guess/hope it won't be in the first month, because now time is getting critical (exams etc), but if it's be in the holidays or someday later, I would love to help organising stuff if needed.

looks fun to me but what can i expect from it, i'm not a great programmer or mathematical genius :P (and i have exams soon)
I guess an interest in calc stuff is more than enough to join, quite some people just have the interest, w/o further knowledge, so why hesitate :)
It maybe will make you want to learn programming, which would be very nice of course
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: ben_g on April 22, 2013, 02:29:49 pm
If it's in The Netherlands or just over the border in Germany or Belgium, yes.
France or further: nope :\
The border between The Netherlands and Belgium sounds reasonable to me. Then I might go if it's close to my home town and I can think of an excuse.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: turiqwalrus on April 22, 2013, 02:51:55 pm
Augh! Belgium? France? 's too far for me at the moment :/

Likely, the best I'd be able to do is something within a 250 km radius of Karlsruhe :P
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: lkj on April 22, 2013, 03:16:05 pm
Belgium is a bit far for me, but maybe I could go on holiday somewhere around there and make the meeting part of it.

Southern Germany would be better for me, but Belgium seems nearest for most people here.

And it would have to be in the holidays or after them :)
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Keoni29 on April 22, 2013, 04:15:34 pm
Count me in! If I can get there by train easily I am willing to travel down to the given location.

What will the meeting be like? Just hanging out together and sharing creations or also some activities such as gaming? We 'd need a room filled with televisions and game consoles for that or a bunch of laptops for that. Who is going to provide all that?
Does anyone even know how to set up an event like this?
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Matrefeytontias on April 22, 2013, 04:27:17 pm
I'd love to but I'm far from being 18, so I can't travel :banghead:

But, if it's somewhere near Paris (which, according to what I read, is highly not) or Avignon (which is impossible) I'll work hard to be there.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Stefan Bauwens on April 22, 2013, 04:54:12 pm
...
We 'd need a room filled with televisions and game consoles for that or a bunch of laptops for that. Who is going to provide all that?
>.> Ehum, that's pretty demanding.
My idea of a meeting would not really feature any games. Computer maybe.
Why waste time gaming while you can spend time talking about calculators? :D
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Matrefeytontias on April 22, 2013, 04:57:47 pm
Exactly XD it's a calculator meeting, not a gaming meeting ^^
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on April 22, 2013, 04:58:53 pm
It could be a calc gaming meeting, though. :P
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Matrefeytontias on April 22, 2013, 05:02:48 pm
Yeah that's true :P but personally by "calc meeting", I understand discussion, programming-related talk, creations sharing, gaming.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Stefan Bauwens on April 22, 2013, 05:08:34 pm
IF there would be such a meeting I'd put as little trouble as possible on the organizer. Meaning, taking your own devices preferably with you(calcs, linking cables, laptops, phones).

All the organizer should do is maybe take care of a place and an internet connection perhaps?
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: utz on April 22, 2013, 06:54:09 pm
Count me in! If I can get there by train easily I am willing to travel down to the given location.

+1

Yeah that's true :P but personally by "calc meeting", I understand discussion, programming-related talk, creations sharing, gaming.

Yep. Sounds all good to me, as long is things aren't too... formal, knowwaddamean? The event should basically be like a demo party or hackerspace event.

IF there would be such a meeting I'd put as little trouble as possible on the organizer. Meaning, taking your own devices preferably with you(calcs, linking cables, laptops, phones).

All the organizer should do is maybe take care of a place and an internet connection perhaps?

More or less, yeah. Make sure the place has enough sleeping places for those who want to hang out late night and/or can't afford a hotel.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Dapianokid on April 22, 2013, 06:55:28 pm
Can we have one for Americans? :(
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: pimathbrainiac on April 22, 2013, 06:58:26 pm
Can we have one for Americans? :(

If epic7 and I went to FRC championships, we'd have already met up :P
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Dapianokid on April 22, 2013, 07:00:02 pm
Well I'm part of the "brolationship" now so if you ever go to an international piano competition, we're all soo meeting up. :/
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: pimathbrainiac on April 22, 2013, 07:00:59 pm
Well I'm part of the "brolationship" now so if you ever go to an international piano competition, we're all soo meeting up. :/

With whom? epic7? me? both? XD

Also: you accidentally double-posted
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Sorunome on April 22, 2013, 10:03:27 pm
How abotu near the german border :P
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: epic7 on April 22, 2013, 10:07:20 pm
Can we have one for Americans? :(

If epic7 and I went to FRC championships, we'd have already met up :P

I would have gone to championships.
Because of a failed ten point hang, nope.
So close :P
But I digress-

If we had it in the US, my mom wouldn't want to drive me more than a few miles to go to it, so it wont happen for me :P
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: turiqwalrus on April 23, 2013, 01:45:51 pm
How abotu near the german border :P

Speaking of which, I still need to hunt you down when ya get back :3
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: pimathbrainiac on April 23, 2013, 02:29:28 pm
Can we have one for Americans? :(

If epic7 and I went to FRC championships, we'd have already met up :P

I would have gone to championships.
Because of a failed ten point hang, nope.
So close :P
But I digress-

If we had it in the US, my mom wouldn't want to drive me more than a few miles to go to it, so it wont happen for me :P

My parents wouldn't let me meet up with people I meet on the interwebs unless I was already going to be there anyways.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Jim Bauwens on April 23, 2013, 02:42:10 pm
Make sure the place has enough sleeping places for those who want to hang out late night and/or can't afford a hotel.

You make a good point here, I actually haven't thought about this. Will need to think about the possible solutions about this :)

As far the location, at the moment Belgium/France seems the best bet (for most members). But of course the expense of traveling is big problem. I understand that this is a big problem for most people.
But without traveling, there isn't really going to be a big meeting.

Maybe we could have meetings for different countries at the same time, have a big video conference together (project/display). That would be interesting too.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Matrefeytontias on April 23, 2013, 06:19:09 pm
This seems like a good solution, but this would decrease consequently the discussion aspect of the meeting.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on April 24, 2013, 02:54:19 am
In many cases, I think an hotel might be needed, since a lot of people probably live in small apartments or houses like me (I only have 2 extra sleeping spots, for example, and my bro would probably only allow it if I'm in vacation), but then the meeting would have to be short-lived so that no one has to spend more than 1 expensive night at the hotel. Plus during Summer hotels are always full anyway.

There is always the solution of leaving home early in the morning to arrive at the conference during afternoon, then leave immediately before night, but that can be a bit exhausting for some people.

As for video conference I don't think it would be very popular, considering we already have one every Wednesday and Saturday.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: floris497 on April 24, 2013, 05:31:09 pm
well if it isn't in the city i can bring my tent and find a piece of grass to putt it on.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: JamesV on April 25, 2013, 06:27:59 am
If anyone is willing to come to Australia for a meet up, I'm sure tr1p1ea and I would both be there ;)
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: ben_g on April 25, 2013, 07:34:35 am
well if it isn't in the city i can bring my tent and find a piece of grass to putt it on.
Just putting a tent on a random place of grass is illegal in Belgium (And probably in the rest of the EU as well), but in gardens, it is allowed, so if anyone has a big enough garden, tents may be a solution.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: Sorunome on April 25, 2013, 09:21:27 pm
I think the main problem with a meetup is that most of us (i hope i am right) are still under 18 and their parents won't allow such stuff........
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on April 26, 2013, 12:22:23 am
YEah that's the main issue, and even above 18 if you live with your parents and they happen to be particularly protective this might be a bit hard.
Title: Re: Would you be interested in an European calculator community meeting?
Post by: utz on April 26, 2013, 06:30:11 am
Assuming there would probably be 30-40 participants max, one could simply ask the local hackerspace (http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/List_of_Hacker_Spaces) to host such an event.

I kinda like that tents-in-garden idea as well.