This has been the case of years. My first FOSDEM was about a decade ago and it felt like that then. You go to a room a talk or two before the talk you actually want to see because of the queues, which means you’re in a talk you didn’t necessarily want to go to, at the expense of someone who might have wanted to. So they’ll queue a talk or two ahead next time, ad infinitum
If you are going to specific devrooms instead of specific talks, you usually don't need to wait in line before getting in. At least that was my experience last year: I got there early in the morning and the rooms were not very full.
Last time I went was 2018, I don't really remember any queues back then. I might be misremembering, but I do remember attending a lot of the talks I wanted to.
Tbh fosdem has long felt like an event that runs on autopilot because it mostly serves as a regular meeting point for the same cliques of people every year. They are not in a rush to change anything.
The fact that you can't catch talks unless you camp in the room is a consequence.
I don't think it's too big, just uncurated and not very accessible. Everyone is there to talk to their own circles.
I think that's all pretty true. The last couple times I went, I mostly camped out in a few Devrooms that I was more interested in (for the most part) and it was a much more pleasant experience than trying to constantly hop from room to room. You can always watch the videos--although the reality is that most of us don't really get around to it in general.
I wouldn't put off newcomers though. While people do connect with those they already know, generally all groups are friendly and welcoming to newcomers, too.
The queues are one thing, another is the terrible ventilation inside the devrooms. I ended up most of today listening to talks in the Janson auditorium, as it at least has breathable atmosphere.