Let's talk to each other: lightning talks
Details
This is the March monthly meeting.
This meeting I'd like to get people to come and give lightning talks. These are talks on any subject (it doesn't need to be programming or Python oriented). Talks can be any length up to about 10 minutes (so, yes, a 1 or 2 minute talk is perfectly OK, and 5 minutes is probably perfect). You can talk from notes, or make it up as you go along; you can have slides or not.
If we get enough people who are ready to talk, then we'll just go for it. If we don't, then we'll split up into small groups and make something up on the day.
That means it's perfectly OK to come as just audience - talks aren't fun without an audience - but there's a chance you might have to help create a talk with others.
The idea for new speakers is to be able to talk in front of a small friendly group, not a huge audience. For more experienced speakers, it lets you present that short item you've been itching to tell everyone about.
It's definitely OK to turn up on the day and just speak, but it would be good if people who know they want to talk could let me know, either in the comments for this meeting on meetup (which everyone can see), or via email to tibs@tonyibbs.co.uk. Useful things to let me know would be: whether you are a new speaker or experienced, a title and subject (if you've got one), and whether you think you'll be using slides.
Normally some of us go on to the pub afterwards - all are welcome!
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I'm sure it doesn't need saying, but as always our code of conduct (https://github.com/campug/organisational/blob/master/CodeOfConduct.rst) applies to everything we do.
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**How CamPUG uses meetup.com**
We mainly use meetup as a way of publicising meetings, at which it is very good. We also use the RSVP mechanism to get some idea of how many people will turn up to a meeting, but this is very inaccurate - at best, we normally get between half and two-thirds of the "yes" numbers attending.
We do not require people to pay for meetings, or acquire tickets, and we do not "take a register" of who actually turns up. We don't even insist that people have to use meetup to indicate they're coming. It is important to me that this be a free and open meeting.
This does mean that we could have a problem when a meeting is very popular and reaches the practical room size - i.e., how many will safely fit in our meeting room. Given our venue, we don't think that is likely to happen in the near future, but we have put a limit on the number of "yes" RSVP replies: larger than we think might be comfortable in the room, but hopefully not too large.