FOSS Backstage

Wrap up & See you next year!

foss-backstage — Mon, 09 May 2022 16:55:50 +0000

We just published our diversity report for FOSS Backstage 2022 and with that have completed one of the last remaining tasks for this year. Before we say “Goodbye and see you next year!”, we want to share some of our highlights of this year!

For the first time in FOSS Backstage history, we now have a video of our conference, courtesy of our videographer, Ekaterina Cramon!

You can also view the photos of this year’s onsite conference on Flickr.

If you haven’t already, you can watch the recordings of the talks on Youtube.

The Sustain Podcast has already published the first episodes of interviews with speakers of FOSS Backstage, with more being released in the next week. Listen now on their website or with your favorite podcast app!

And with that, we now want to actually say Goodbye to you, as FOSS Backstage enters hibernation mode over the Summer. Thanks to everyone who made the conference possible and such a fun event this year and we’ll see all of you in Spring next year!

Podcast Stage at FOSS Backstage 2022!

foss-backstage — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 18:29:12 +0000

This year’s edition of FOSS Backstage marks our first cautious step back into the world of in-person events. So we didn’t only split the event in an online-only day and a (fully livestreamed) in-person day, but we also wanted to try something new. Therefore, we will be offering a dedicated podcast stage, hosted by Richard Littauer of the Sustain Podcast and Julian Feinauer of the German Open Source in der Industrie podcast.

They will be hosting up to six hours of live-podcast in total on Friday March 18th, during the onsite event of FOSS Backstage, speaking to conference speakers and participants about Open Source, community, sustainability and more. The conversations will be streamed live during the event and the highlights will be made available afterwards as a podcast.

We will provide a dedicated podcast room, audio equipment as well as the livestream and production support. If you are interested in talking with Richard or Julian live on air, message Paul at info@foss-backstage.de and stay tuned for updates here!

Important information for our online event

foss-backstage — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 17:16:47 +0000

Today, we want to tell you more about our online event — what you have to do to join, the program and features we have prepared for you and what you can do on the platform apart from watching the talks.

The first day of this year’s edition of FOSS Backstage will take place fully online, and the second day will be live streamed as well.

How to join

To join the online conference just click your personalized access link in your confirmation email of your ticket. If you can’t find your ticket, just click this link, and we will resend your access codes.

Our online platform runs completly in your web browser — no need to install additional software. But please make sure that you use the latest version of a modern browser such as Chrome or Firefox.

Stages

Once you have joined our online platform, you will see a navigation area on the left side of your screen where you can choose between the different areas and stages, on which the talks will be streamed. This year, we have three stages, each with a separate chat and question tab. Here, you can ask the speaker questions, or upvote questions asked by others. At the end of each sessions, a moderator will relay some of those questions to the speaker.

We will also provide break-out rooms after each sessions, where you can meet up with the speaker and fellow attendees to ask questions or discuss the session further. Think of it as a sort of meet & greet — a short opportunity to connect and talk in an informal setting.

We will also provide dedicated workshop rooms for interactive sessions.

Networking

Apart from the chat and the break-out sessions, we have other ways to communicate and socialize with other attendees.

During the breaks, you will have the opportunity to participate in speed-networking, to connect with fellow attendees or speakers. After you joined the speed-networking area, you will be randomly connected to another attendee in an 1:1 video session, where you can remain until one of the participants chooses to end the call.

You can of course also initiate chats and video calls with others directly by going to the attendees tab and searching for a specific person.

Get-together

In the evening you will be able to meet up in Spatial Chat, which is a group video chat that lets you move around the virtual space and join conversations. The closer you move to people in the space the louder they become, chat in a group or move away to have more private conversations. You can find out more about spatial chat here.

We are looking forward to meeting all of you March 17-18th! If you have any questions left, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@foss-backstage.de

Important information for the onsite event & your stay in Berlin

foss-backstage — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 15:46:40 +0000

Less then three weeks remain until we kick of FOSS Backstage 2022! We’d like to take this opportunity to inform you about our venue TUECHTIG and provide you with some useful information for your stay in Berlin.

How to get there

TUECHTIG is located in Berlin Wedding, at Oudenarder Str. 16, 13347 Berlin.

Größere Karte anzeigen

You can easily reach it using public transportation:

Tram lines M13 and 50 stop at Osram-Höfe
U-Bahn lines U6, U8 and U9 all have stops in the vicinity. The closest ones are Nauener Platz (U9) and Seestraße (U6). Please note that there currently is construction work at Seestraße and only south-bound trains (direction Wedding/Alt-Mariendorf) stop there.
Busses 247 and 327 stop at Nauener Platz, and lines 106 and 120 stop at Seestraße.

Please note that you currently have to wear an FFP2 / (K)N95 mask when using public transportation in Berlin. For route planning we recommend Öffi (Android) as well as the official BVG-app and route planer (Android & iOS).

TUECHTIG also has bike parking available. Be aware that car parking is only possible at side of the road.

Accessibility and COVID19-rules

TUECHTIG is a co-working space dedicated to inclusivity and accessibilty and is therefore fully wheelchair-accessible.

To enter the venue you have to wear a FFP2 / (K)N95 mask and provide proof of two vaccinations with an additional booster shot. You can find all details about our COVID rules here.

While we do not require a recent negative test for COVID-19, we recommend getting a free rapid test before attending the conference. Test Center Berlin Wedding is located near our venue TUECHTIG at Utrechter Str. 46, but you can also find a map of testing locations here.

If you feel sick or experience any cold/flu-like symptoms, please stay at home for your own safety and the safety of others.

Co-Working and live stream

If you travel to Berlin and don‘t want to watch our online-only-day in your hotel room, there are plenty of options available. Additionally to known brands such as wework , Berlin boasts lots of smaller co-working spaces which also offer affordable day-rates, like our venue TUECHTIG or St. Oberholz.

Get-together and Networking

It‘s been more than two years since we‘ve met for an on-site edition of FOSS Backstage and we would like to celebrate it by inviting you to join us for a drink and chat at Vagabund Kesselhaus on March 18th, directly after the conference.

Vagabund is a local craft beer brewery and their newly opened Kesselhaus is located right next to TUECHTIG.

We are very much looking forward to meeting you soon, either in Berlin or Online. If you have any questions left, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@foss-backstage.de. And if you don’t have a ticket yet, you can of course still get one here.

Maurizio Gazzola will hold Keynote

foss-backstage — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:06:22 +0000

We are excited to announce Maurizio Gazzola as a keynote speaker for FOSS Backstage 2022! Maurizio is Chief of Strategic Solutions at the United Nations’ Office of Information and Telecommunication Technology. In his keynote, Maurizio will discuss how Open Source (Culture) can benefit the Sustainable Development Goals!

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were set forth by the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. They are an urgent call to action and encompass topics such as ending poverty & hunger, health, education and gender equality as well as environmental protection and climate action.

But how can we leverage and achieve those goals? The core principles of Open Source go way beyond writing software, and the tenets introduced by the Open Source Definition or the Four Essential Freedoms provide new paradigms of collaboration across boundaries, not just for software but for society as a whole — a true ubiquitous Open Source Culture. Open Source Culture provides a framework and methods for the establishment of Digital Public Goods, and thus, may also help support a global society that is fair, inclusive and does not leave anybody behind. So how do we empower developing countries in accelerating their SDG progress milestones through Open Source Culture and how can we leverage Open Business models that rely on inclusivity and participation?

We are very much looking forward to hearing Maurizio’s thoughts and answers to this questions. If you are eager to learn more as well, get your ticket for FOSS Backstage 2022 now at https://foss-backstage.de/home/tickets/

Maurizio Gazzola has more then twenty years of experience in management roles in ICT programs of large international organizations like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the United Nations. Maurizio’s expertise lies in the development, implementation and delivery of complex ICT systems and services for Government administrations. Currently, he is the Chief of Strategic Solutions at the United Nations Office of Information and Telecommunication Technology, where he works on technology innovation programs aimed at assisting Member States directly, with concrete support in technology adoption.

Marie Gutbub and Patricia Leu to hold keynote

foss-backstage — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 16:39:32 +0000

We are proud to introduce you to our keynote speakers Marie Gutbub and Patricia Leu!

They are co-directors of Prototype Fund, a funding program for open source software at the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany.

In their keynote Patricia and Marie will discuss alternatives to public open source funding – How do we build sustainable open source projects, that don’t rely on proprietary code and selling user data, and how do we prevent small projects from dying out in the shadow of big companies with seemingly limitless resources?

In their experience, the hardest part in the life of an small FOSS project is not the initial phase, where a small team or single person with a great idea translates their vision into code, but rather the following time, where a project struggles for continued funding that may eventually dry out.

Drawing from lessons learned at Prototype Fund, Patricia and Marie will explore how to build sustainable open source projects and give an overview of what works, what doesn’t, and where to look for inspiring examples.

We are very much looking forward to hearing their thoughts! If you want to hear from them as well, make sure to get your ticket here.

Patricia is a communications expert who has worked in the campaign and communication teams of various NGOs and was responsible for the press and public relations of an association. Before that she studied religion and culture in Berlin and researched on medial discourse hegemony.

Marie is an open source and privacy advocate, campaigner, event organizer and information security trainer. She studied cultural journalism and researched new models for online journalism platforms. Since then, she has worked as a freelance journalist, campaigner, communications officer, infosec trainer and event organizer for various projects in journalism, privacy and open source.

Health and Safety at FOSS Backstage

foss-backstage — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 16:15:00 +0000

The Covid19-pandemic and most recently the omicron-variant is still impacting our everyday lives. As event organizers, we want to bring people together, but especially in the current situation we want to do this in a way that is as safe and as inclusive as possible. We want you to have a safe and comfortable experience here in Berlin.

Therefore, we want to inform you about the current rules and regulations that are in place now, as well as the additional safety measures we are taking at FOSS Backstage. Please note that these regulations might be adapted as the pandemic situation changes.

We are closely monitoring the national health advice from Robert Koch Institut (RKI), the German federal governmental agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention. We are also collaborating closely on health concepts with our venue TUECHTIG.

Currently, the following rules apply for FOSS Backstage 2022:

Entry into the venue will only be possible for those who can provide proof of full vaccination with a booster shot.

Proof of Vaccination can be provided with the EU Digital COVID Certificate, International Certificate of Vaccination, or equivalent documentation such as the CDC vaccination card.

If you have recovered from an infection with COVID-19 you need to provide proof that you have been infected with COVID-19 more than 28 days and less then 3 months ago. You also need to provide proof of an additional booster shot, if otherwise unvaccinated.

You can find additional information on what is considered as “fully vaccinated” on the website of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut. If you have any questions left regarding your vaccination status or how to provide proof of vaccination, please contact us.

You will be required to wear an FFP2/(K)N95 mask inside the venue. Please note that you will also be required to wear an FFP2/(K)N95 mask when using public transportation in Berlin.

All participants need provide contact details and will be informed in case of an outbreak.

We request that anyone sick or experiencing any cold/flu-like symptoms stay home for their own safety and the safety of others.

We encourage you to to test yourself for COVID-19 before attending the event. You can find a map of free rapid test stations at map.schnelltestportal.de/

We also want to encourage you to use the Corona Warn App (CWA) during your stay in Berlin. CWA is the official contract tracing app of the German Federal Ministry of Health and provides anonymous and decentralized contact tracing using the Google/Apple Exposure Notification system. You can learn more about CWA at coronawarn.app/en/

Additionally, we will provide the following safety measures:

We provide sanitation stations with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Seating will be spaced and the room will be regularly aired.

We will sanitize speaker microphones.

We will update these rules as required and also provide you with additional information as they become available. If you have any questions, concerns or recommendations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: info@foss-backstage.de

(Last update: 2022-02-07: Berlin changed the duration for which people are considered to be recovered from an COVID infection from 6 months to 3 months. Our rules have been updated accordingly.)

Photo: cc-by 2.0 Jernej Furman

The program is out!

foss-backstage — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 12:21:15 +0000

Our call for papers has brought us 114 submissions with many exciting and important proposals among them. With the help of our program committee we did our best to put together a program with a broad spectrum of topics.

We are very happy with the result and hope that everyone attending FOSS Backstage will find inspiration, be able to learn new things and we will have 2 days full of existing conversations on community, management and compliance in open source software development.

Have a look for yourself! You can find our first public version of the schedule here. There are still a few gaps in the schedule which will be filled in the coming weeks.

The first conference day will take place fully online. The day starts with a keynote by Maurizio Gazzola who will be speaking about how Open Source (culture) can benefit the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Maurizio is the is the Chief of Strategic Solutions at the United Nations Office of Information and Telecommunication Technology, where he works on technology innovation programmes.

The second conference day takes place in Berlin and will be live streamed. We will kicked off with Marie Gutbub and Patricia Leu. Marie and Patricia are co-directors of Prototype Fund, a funding program for open source software at the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany. They will be speaking about why “Funding is not the (only) solution”.

We are looking forward to seeing all of you live in Berlin and/or online!

FOSS Backstage: online and in-person!

foss-backstage — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 17:30:41 +0000

We are happy to announce that FOSS Backstage 2022 will be a hybrid event, allowing us to maintain the openness and accessibility of online events while creating a space for in person discussions for those who want them.

The 2022 event will consist of one fully virtual day followed by one in person day taking place here in Berlin. The in person day in Berlin will be live streamed for those attending virtually, and virtual attendees will be able to ask speakers questions.

We will be announcing more details about the event, including the in person venue and ticketing options, shortly so make sure you’re signed up to our mailing list or following us on Twitter or LinkedIn so you get the latest updates.

We will be following the latest government advice on in person events and working to ensure our onsite event is as Covid-safe and accessible as possible. We will keep you updated on what this means for the event throughout the planning process.

Photo by ThisIsEngineering from Pexels

FOSS Backstage returns with a new in-person venue

foss-backstage — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 17:26:40 +0000

FOSS Backstage will return in 2022 as a hybrid event, with one day taking place online and one day taking place in person. We are very excited to announce that the in-person event will take place at TUECHTIG in Berlin.

TUECHTIG is a co-working and event space with a focus on being as accessible as possible. TUECHTIG is striving to create a working environment where everyone feels comfortable and can be productive. FOSS Backstage will take place on the main event room which has barrier free access. You can read more about what makes TUECHTIG so special here.

TUECHTIG is located in Osram-Höfe, a former lightbulb factory, in Berlin’s Wedding. There is easy access to the venue via public transport with a tram stop right outside the venue and 3 U-Bahn stations close by.

Wedding is “the coolest neighbourhood in Berlin”, located in the north of the city with plenty of bars,cafés and restaurants. Some of our favourites nearby are: Stranero for Pizza, Basalt for cocktails, Vagabund Kesselhaus for beer, and Sam Yuk Gu for Korean food.

Address

TUECHTIG Oudenarder Straße 16

(Building D06, 1st Floor)

13347 Berlin

Getting there

U-Bahn: U9 Nauener Platz

U8, U9 Osloer Straße U6,

U9 Leopoldplatz

Tram: M13, 50 Osram-Höfe

The BVG website can be used to check all current train and bus connections: www.bvg.de