[combatentropy]

> I always treated them as networking

I did too, but the format is a class: chairs arranged in rows, facing forward, with one person doing all the talking.

I suppose we are supposed to do our networking before and after class, over pizza. But come on, we're programmers, generally shy and quiet. If we trade a few words or sentences, the degree to which we know each other is less than after an interview --- and interviews are notoriously bad for getting to know programmers.

Maybe arrange the chairs in a circle. Then, instead of planning a long talk, encourage participation. Even something as awkward as going around the room would be better than the lecture format.