Four kinds of people:
- Facilitators
- Software engineers
- Hardware engineers
- Collectors
Conference Elements:
- Sessions: "endless wow." The presenters were all prepared and skilled.
- Giveaway: I picked with wrong mode of travel. I need //e's, but had no space to take them with me. Donate to the team that brings in the Garage Giveaway haul; they deserve it!
- Social Experience: Steve W, Peter N, Carl, and Martin are amazing. Collectors have neat stories and are excited to share. Olivier, Olivier, Antoine, and Alain took time to socialize and share. John and Peter were two among the Americans who opened up. I appreciated his hospitality. All of the other, regular engineers circulate in tight groups in effort to crank out research and results in the brief week they all have together.
- Lunches: decent grub, and is just about the only time to get to know more about regular attendees.
- Facility: in need of modernization, and the main area is too small for a confluence of 100 attendees. Wireless internet access is troublesome.
- Location: hot, humid climate, and volatile weather.
- Competition: proficient software engineers have an edge.
- Vendors: a mix of everything; hardware, software, relics, and modern, themed trinkets.
I thought I might become friends with hobbyists interested in talking about copy protection schemes on the Apple II. I thought I would encounter more appreciation for emulators. I expected an opportunity to share memories. Not even close.
The ticket to making friends is bringing your own classic Apple. Failure to bring your own classic Apple almost certainly means failed first impressions. Perhaps a photo wallet of loved II's would overcome the offense. Stories and experience lacking current context have no place at this conference. KansasFest folks march forward and few look back. New attendees, including myself, seemed to be floundering to make connections, sitting in the general communal half-occupied by a team of extremely focused software preservationists. When the preservationists were off somewhere, there was ample seating to make new friends.
Twitter is their anchor for communication.
I left confused and sad.
For context, in 1993, I posted a comp.sys.apple2 article named "Copy protection of most 86-90 II programs" on how to defeat a highly used bit slip protection in software products I saw as youngster. I was a freshman in college when writing this and I lacked thoroughness, effective communication skills, and knowledge of technical writing. That said, the post was technical and useful to a limited audience. At KansasFest 2017, I met a highly skilled software preservationist who, the year prior, had presented a topic nearly identical to what I had posted long ago. The diagrams in that presentation were remarkably similar to what I posted. Curious to earn some conversation time with him, I inquired of him if he had ever seen what I posted, he blurted "oh you're Michael Kelsey". He didn't have time beyond that.
EDIT 10/19: I later figured out why. This chap was cool enough to sponsor several folks' attendance to KansasFest. I had entered to contest, but I didn't win any of them. I would guess that a first impression had been made long before I arrived to Rockhurst.
On the final day of KansasFest 2017, I gave feedback to a kind soul who helps organize KansasFest. I suggested that an interests questionnaire be given before the event for new attendees, that during the registration process, could help make all the difference incorporating new attendees in to the circles of activity. The event goes quickly and precious time can be lost.
I continue to wonder what happened that week of my life. If I consider going again, how should I prepare? Will a future KansasFest be different?
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