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I’m going to beat up on #OpenBSD

Not because of the tragedy of sysjail (which I funded)

Not for “just enough file system to load your PF ruleset”

Not for discontinuing CDs and STICKERS…

BUT FOR AN UBERTRAGIC LACK OF @bsdcan TALK SUBMISSIONS!

Some of the single greatest #BSDCan talks have been OpenBSD ones!

Let’s go Fish Linux!

Puffy4Evah!

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Michael Dexter
@robin Or you’re attuned to underrepresented yet obvious groups at conferences!
in reply to Michael Dexter

You know what else has no OpenBSD talk submissions this year? The FOSDEM BSD devroom.

What's up with the OpenBSD folks lately?

@fosdembsd

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in reply to benz

@bentsukun afaik, openbsd use to have an hackathon around Fossem dates.
@benz

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in reply to fosdembsd

@fosdembsd @bentsukun Roughly what percentage of their community attends hackathons? Yes, many “big names”, but they’re not “all there”.
in reply to Michael Dexter

Systrace was neat, but the races were tricky to fix - I spotted then in 2002, I think when myself and Ian Dowse were cleaning up FreeBSD's Linux emulation to avoid using stack gap tricks.
in reply to Michael Dexter

I hear you saying that OpenBSD isn't meeting the expectations you have for it, and I understand that you're hoping to see things like CDs, stickers, and an OpenBSD @bsdcan presentation again. I agree - those things are important.

At the same time, I'm feeling a bit annoyed and tired, because I really value having the independence and space to contribute to OpenBSD and the community in my own way. It's important to me to have the freedom to work at my own pace and to feel that the community understands and supports that approach.

I'm also feeling a bit embarrassed, because I wish I could give more to the community. I had hoped to have a topic to propose for @bsdcan, but I don't.

I'm curious - how does this land with you?

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in reply to florian

@florian It’s all true and hopefully you see that I am saying this with love. OpenBSD set, and continues to set the gold standard in many regards: code, talks, stickers, songs, and any cutbacks, personal or project, are understandable.

My best memories are from my experiences with OpenBSD and of course working with @kristapsdz, who has echoed what you’re saying.

The context however is @bsdcan, a North American conference that is in-part outside the US to accommodate developers to avoid the US due to export controls etc., and aims to be inclusive of all BSD projects.

Now that I help fundraise for it, I get to hear more of the feedback that the event does not have enough OpenBSD content despite never, as I’m told, rejected an OpenBSD talk, or inversely is too oriented to other BSDs and “doesn’t like” OpenBSD, and all the speculative crap/expectations that you refer to.

Speaking strictly for the planning committee, is the ANYTHING we can do to attract more OpenBSD talks? This keeps coming up and we’re scratching our heads, despite having @pitrh and @mwl on the committee, who have had non-trivial participation in OpenBSD. This has devolved into chicken and egg problem of having fewer OpenBSD-interested attendees for want of fewer OpenBSD talks/a perception that BSDCan “hates OpenBSD” etc.

If the OpenBSD project in conjunction with its Foundation has a policy to focus on its hackathons rather than conferences, please say so! We know the Foundation cannot fund the event and accept that.

You know, a talk on managing expectations and burnout would be awesome…

in reply to Michael Dexter

@Michael Dexter @BSDCan @kristaps

Kristaps @florian @Peter N. M. Hansteen @Michael Lucas as a person who doesn't do enough stuff inside to feel value of talking about it (I studiously avoid doing anything interesting, as a sysadmin), this feels like valuable feedback on its own

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florian
@stsp I seem to always miss the cfp for bsdnl :flan_peek: looks like I will at least be in country in April...
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Michael Dexter
@stsp @florian I found community participation to be a form of distracting therapy when each of my three children were born. But I am weird that way.
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Michael Dexter
@stsp @florian All true! A.K.A. Life and you are alive to share that!
in reply to Michael Dexter

GAH! Stop!

Even @h3artbl33d boosted this, an OpenBSD supporter!

Everyone please stop sharing and boosting this.

I was wrong to establish and maintain expectations based on precedences.

Don’t do this. It’s rude to volunteers.

Please don’t expect anything from me as a volunteer with a personal life either, which is a huge relief.

in reply to Michael Dexter

Replied in private. I will do my best to submit an abstract, if time allows me to.
in reply to Michael Dexter

This is perhaps a good time to remind potential #openbsd speakers (and others for what it's worth) that the submissions deadline is February 12th, and I for one will respond to any questions or concerns you may have.

The way in: bsdcan.org/2025/papers.html

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Peter N. M. Hansteen
@stsp @florian @kristapsdz @mwl I have on my list gently poking community members who are not (yet) in possession of a project account. Hopefully some will be ready to step up with a talk.