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Thursday, September 26, 2013

Software Freedom Day Hong Kong 2013

Thank you so much, FLOSS lovers in Hong Kong!


The 3rd Saturday of September, 21st September 2013, I had a great opportunity to have a lecture in Software Freedom Day Hong Kong, memorial first event in HK.


According to their official site (I'm in the top photo; wear a green shirt -- of course LibreOffice Japanese Team's one), Software Freedom Day (SFD) is:
a global, grassroots effort to educate the public about the importance of software freedom and the virtues and availability of Free and Open Source Software. Local teams from all over the world organize events on the third Saturday in September. 

I had a 40 minute talk at this event as a keynote.  As a member of LibreOffice Japanese Team, I've introduced LibreOffice; product side and community side, and activities in Japan.  Here is a slide.

LibreOffice: outline, and what we are doing in Japan from Naruhiko Ogasawara

I got two good questions from the audience.  I couldn't answer well so Graham Leach caught the questions and his answer seems perfect, but now I want to answer the two questions in my words.
Q1. Why you commit LibreOffice? 
Because it's "our right."
Please consider if you find a bug in the software you use. 
If the software is proprietary, only you can do is just call tech support and get an answer "Oh sorry it's our bug, we'll consider to fix it in next version" or something else. After that, only you can do is wait.
If the software is FLOSS, you can fix it and send the patch to upstream.  Or file it in Bugzilla and you can track everything about the issue.
Your action might help to solve your problem, and any other people who have a same problem. 
Q2. What is a benefit to commit? 
First, it's fun.  It's a very good hobby.  We can feel we are part of evolution ;) 
Second, LibreOffice is very casual, active, easy-to-join project, and it is a good training field to commit any kind of FLOSS project.  Working on FLOSS project is good for young people to grow one's skill up.  And looking really open governance of LibreOffice community is a very good opportunity. This experience will help you if you manage someone else.
Anyway, thanks for everyone helped me in HK or via the net, especially Fred and Pockey.  So awesome days HK!


Travel report follows: TL;DR.



Before the event

Of course they do NOT want to invite me actually.   Frederic Muller, the organizer of SFD HK 2013 know Michael Meeks and Fred ask Mike who could come HK.  They thought someone in same Asian communities might be fine,  and drop a line into a river (Japanese LibreOffice discussion mailing list) and I bit.

After some interaction via e-mail, I've been in the Haneda Int'l Airport at 3 hours early on Friday, 20th Sept.  Due to healthy reason I've taken off to work and arrived the airport very early, and touching my slide up.  With feeling strong chill, I've been getting nervous...

Anyway, I have thought "OK, almost done, and I need to check my slide is followed the resume and the track title in SFD HK official site," then, I found my talk was keynote!  Oh, my!  I so surprised.

ATM, boarding my flight just stared.  I packed my laptop in my bag, boarded the airplane CX594, drunk beer and fell asleep... 4 hours later, I've been in Hong Kong Int'l airport.  My bad chill had gone :).

Hello Hong Kong!  Same as Japan, Hong Kong was also hot.  At first I mailed to Fred "I'm here" then I've taken the Airport line train to go to Hong Kong station.
Airport Line Ticket

Then taking the subway in Central station; entrance is very close but I had to walk very very long aisle.
This store chain is also very famous in Japan
In Central station aisle


With a short trip from Central station, I arrived my guesthouse in Chungking Mansions. It's an amazing world!  I'm so sorry to forget to take a picture...
This nice picture is by shankar s.,
published in Flickr under CC BY 2.0

I found Fred's mail to invite welcome dinner.  Why not?!   I went out and met Fred and Pockey, and enjoyed a nice meal in Macau Restaurant (澳門茶餐廳).
Not a good picture but here is Macau Restaurant.

Alright, still Friday and my talk was Saturday.  I had to go to my small bed...  Good night.


My lovely room...
My foot was out of the bed because of the length :)

Saturday: Software Freedom Day!

As usual I'm not in Japan, I got up little early, 7a.m.
Taking a shower, shaving, then went out to take a breakfast.
Café de Coral, recommended by Pockey.
Yummy rice porridge and fried noodle, and milk tea.

After taking some rest, I took a taxi and go to The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Poly U (香港理工大學).  Thanks last night Pockey already gave me a memo written the location and name of Poly U, I didn't need to talk the driver in Chinese :).



OK, here is building N, our place!
Now preparing...
Nice view!

At 13:50, the event started.
Opening talk by Micheal Iannini (Mike, you're so nice guy!)

Doing relax each other :)

Graham Leach told educational means of FLOSS

My time

I've been a bit nervous so I totally forgot to check the time, that's why I couldn't talk case studies in Japan deeply (really rushed).  Anyway I believe audience enjoyed.

After that I've been in LibreOffice booth.
Hmm... What I was doing??

This "Ubuntu Magazine Japan (Ubumaga; うぶまが) is
the award of rock-paper-scissors competition in wrap-up
There've been lots of people 

Very cute teddy bear with GNOME shirt :)

My fault was that I've spent too long time and I couldn't visit whole booths and I've lost a chance to hear any other talks.  But I could talk to many people.  It was so happy time for me.

In the end, the wrap-up discussion by speakers.

It was a first Software Freedom Day Hong Kong (really nice!), so we've discussed how to keep this motivation to grow HK FLOSS communities.
Building the community is always very important and really difficult I think.  So I want to keep in touch both communities, Japan and Hong Kong.

Everything done.  Of course, time to say "Kanpai!"
Please believe me, that night was very special, I always don't drink so much, especially fast-drinking-match - 一気 (ikki) - Mike knows that style ;).  I've drunk tooooo much Ha Ha :).

After the really nice party, I walked around the sea.  Because I've not brought a good camera I can't put any photo on the blog, but very beautiful night.  I love Hong Kong.

See you. Good night.

Last day (Sunday)

This post is already too long, so I just put some pictures.

Last breakfast in HK is Pidan rice porridge.
Good for hang-overed man :)

Hong Kong Space Museum.
It was very close by walk, and pretty nice for me.

Here is a dome of the planetarium.
I saw a movie in there.  It's good but a little hard for over-drunk guy :)

See you, lovely Chung King Mansions :)

Because of coming the big typhoon, some flight were canceled but my flight CX542 was OK.  Good three days.  I really enjoyed :)

See you!

And thanks for readers, to read such a very long post ;)

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