It’s been my sixth GNOME Asia Summit that I attend. My first time was in Beijing, at Beihang University. Then every year I help to organize and collaborate with local organizer. I only skipped not attending when it was in Chongqing.
After last year, me and Sammy Fung become Leader/Co-Leader of Asia Committee. Asia Committee is not formal department or suborganization in GNOME Foundation. It contained few people who active at promoting GNOME in Asia. Mostly from people who become local organizer and people who always attend in several years. And personally I knew and meet them in few conference. Probably I will ask board to make this Asia Committee to become formal one.
This conference held in Gresik City, East Java. This city is supporting city for Surabaya (capital of East Java province). It’s small city with growing community right now. One of community is Gresik Dev who become local organizer. FOSS generaly and GNOME in specialy is not recognized by common people. This point of view that lead me to ask Gresik Dev to promoting FOSS and GNOME. Local organizer contain Gresik Dev Community and student from UISI and UMG (both of them the most popural university in Gresik).
This conference, I helping local organizer as steering committee (consultant). One of my reason to proactive in this event is I was born in this city near four decades ago. Probably they see me as dictator because I wanna make this conference as good as possible with limited resource.
I’m driving my car to go to Gresik City. It’s near 800 km from Bogor (city which I live). I arrived on Wednesday afternoon. In Thursday I helping to pickup few speaker from airport. One of my duty is to manage transportation for foreigner from airport to hotel, hotel to venue, vice versa. Since also me that know most of foreigner speaker. So on Friday my duty is become driver and introduce several speaker to each other.
Friday is workshop day, mostly I spent my time to chit chat with all speaker that already arrive and introduce to each other, also make sure tomorrow everything is going well. In this day, I know theres few newcomers that also become speaker. Mostly they got nervous because first time experience. So little bit lack on preparing and predicting the audience. At night we have welcome party and I have long talk with Gaurav and Andre Klapper.
Saturday is first day of conference. I see many participant that not familiar with GNOME but they willing to join this conference. Also I realized that long time bonded friends who often going to GNOME Asia Summit is me, Bin Li and Andre Klapper. English is become little bit problem because this not native language. But the master of ceremony is doing their job amazingly. The person who in charge of slide and projector need to use GNOME and Linux more often. 🙂
This first day, me and several friends who able to understand Pegon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegon_script) planning to have BoF to make this characters working in GNOME/Linux. You can join at https://gitlab.com/aksaranusantara.
Sunday, I meet best friends from Tatalogam Company who become one of sponsor, also they have keynote. I also have keynote at the end of event. Also we have nice dramatic and funny closing. Many doorprize given to participant. I see many participant enjoy the conference and have selfie/wefie at photo’s booth for uploading to their instagram. It’s also good for marketing.
Anyway, big applause to desaign team who manage everything that need design/art. And good job for local organizer. Thank you to all speaker that spent time joining this conference and share your knowledge. Thank you to all participant for attending and help promoting GNOME. Big thanks to GNOME Foundation who sponsored my travel!
From closing this conference, it’s meaning I’m become Leader of Asia Committee because Sammy Fung stepdown for personal matters. Any one willing to help me?
See you at Next GNOME Asia Summit 2020!
ahmad haris 