[corroclaro]

Glad to have returned after missing out on FOSDEM for a while. However, I agree with OP on that undeniable success leading to heavy crowding. I also missed some hacker hardware stands, there were very few this year.

I always enjoyed chatting with people demoing SDR/small cool hardware hacks as a refreshing break from whatever high-tech presentation room I got stuck in for half a day :-)

It would almost be good to ... have a bigger campus.

Tough luck on that though.

[sillyfluke]

On the positive side, I think the little bit of chaos that came from the natural disorganization of a "free conference" helped me get in to a few rooms despite the general overcrowding, it also made me miss a few talks cause I could never get a grip on the wacky room locations and numberings.

I have this unsubstantiated fear though that having the conference more orderly may actually make things worse.

I liked how some people brought their kids, that was great.

(I found the anti-cash vibe in Brussels outside the conference pretty fucking annoying though. Metro machines that take coins but have no cash slot? What is this bullshit?)