If you live in Germany and would like to experience this on a smaller scale THIS WEEKEND, come to the CCC conference in Dresden, called Datenspuren, run by our local CCC Erfa-Kreis C3D2. It takes place from 18.09 - 20.09 in Zentralwerk Dresden. Entry is completely free of charge, with a donation being appreciated.
It is a beautiful and inclusive environment that highlights not only a lot local hackers, but also a lot of artists.
I was there last year and it was amazing! I totally recommend it.
You can find more info about the event and the featured talks and events here:
And thee weeks later there is Interfug in Chemnitz. Even smaller, but the intimate atmosphere can be quite cozy.
https://interfug.de/
This year will be the first time I go to Interfug. I found it while browsing the CCC event calendar 2 weeks ago. I have no idea what to expect, especially because the program preview currently up only lists a few talks (but it clearly says it is still not the full program).
Still, even if there aren't many talks, I like the spirit of these conferences and very interesting conversations you get to have with very interesting people who go there.
Plus, it's only a 90 min train ride away from Dresden, so if I don't like it, I will just go home.
It's called the "hallway track" when you spend your time talking to people around, instead of going to one of the conference rooms to watch the talks at any conference.
Thanks for the tip! I've never attended anything like tyis before.