Firewalls

**A software engineers guide to LLMs** In this talk Richard Conway will break down what LLMs are layer by layer, how they work, how they use software principles to work and how to use them in software. This will be a fluid talk with a lot of philosophy, maths from school and how to build your software understanding things like hallucinations and new techniques that can make your management of LLMs more deterministic. We'll consider a lot of things here including the new code generation tools which have developers quivering in their boots, what they mean for our industry and how to use them for effect. Lots of mini-demos and great discussions, good people, beer and pizza! **About the speaker** Richard Conway co-founded the user group, along with Andy Cross, Joe Hancock and Chris Parsons. He is a Microsoft AI MVP and a Microsoft Regional Director and has been writing software in one form or another since his fingers were large enough to hit a ZX81 keyboard.

Join our weekly Walthamstow Meetups and play some games with us! **💜Everybody Welcome:** We meet up every week to play a bunch of modern board games, card games and party games in pubs. If you would like to get involved, RSVP to the event. You can bring games with you if you like, although not a requirement. 🌱**Something For Everyone:** Whether you're a seasoned board game veteran or just starting out, you're welcome. No previous experience necessary, we go through the rules before playing. We play a range of games, from lighter card and party games to epic strategies. **📌Where:** We meet at the **The Village Club** in Walthamstow, which is a 10 minute walk from Walthamstow Central underground station.. When you arrive please press the buzzer to gain entry. Just say you are joining the board game group. Come say hello and the event hosts will get you settled in. The Village Club is a member's club but you can attend our board game evening without becoming a member. As the space will stay open for the use of our group the expectation is that you will buy a drink or two to cover the cost of the bar staff. If you so wish you have the option of joining the club in future for £10 a year. ⌚**When**: * **18:30** \- Arrival & Game Sign Up * **19:00** \- Games Begin * **23:00** \- Venue Closes If you arrive after games begin, you may have to wait until the next game starts. If you are running late on the night, please do let us know. **👥Community** **Hosted:** We'll always get folks involved, but you can join the community and sign up for games in advance! Many games played on the night get organised ahead of time. Come join the fun at **https://discord.gg/mHZSKq2** 📸**Photos:** Help us satiate the algorithm-beast, upload photos of your favorite games and consenting participants! When taking photos please do make sure that people in the photos are comfortable to appear in them. **💫Food** 🍴 Drinks are available and crisps. You can order food to be delivered if you wish.

Registration Portal: [Event Registration Portal](https://luma.com/cclondon26?utm_source=sherif) About Event ​"Why are there no coffeeshops open late? But what if I want to co-work at night?!?" - everyone on Twitter ​Cerebras is excited to present, Cafe Compute. The first, late-night pop-up coffeeshop with a barista bar ☕️, cozy snacks and couches 🛋️, and more. ​​​​​​This event is brought to you in collaboration with OpenAI. ​​Cerebras is the world’s fastest AI inference, up to 15x faster than leading GPUs. Cerebras Inference is powered by our Wafer-Scale Engine (WSE-3) - the world's largest AI chip. Experience the speed for yourself with OpenAI Codex-Spark, powered on Cerebras, and get free compute at cerebras.ai. Location Please register to see the exact location of this event.

If you are looking to be part of a community of like-minded individuals, join the community Mindfulness and Meditation offered by Soham Yoga and take your yoga practice beyond the mat, making it a way of life. **Every Tuesday at 7.45 pm** The classes are donation-based and welcome all. We do holistic Mindfulness and Meditation practices suitable for all levels Check the regular schedule for classes and Intro offer of ***14 consecutive days of Yoga sessions for £19*** only at Soham Yoga Centre, Harrow **Pre-book your spot** [https://sohamyoga.co.uk/schedule/](https://sohamyoga.co.uk/schedule/) Mindfulness requires us to be aware of what's around us and how our bodies feel. Meditation is a practice that reels in our thoughts to calm the mind. In this time of stress, Meditation has proven to be highly effective in helping one to be more mindful in their daily experiences. In this session, we would have warm-up yoga, breathing techniques, mindfulness and meditation. Register Online with code FIRST for the first free trial [Yoga Schedule](https://bookwhen.com/sohamyogaldn#focus=ev-s7dx-20230904183000) \#\#\#\# Instructions Come in comfortable clothing, with a water bottle (if required). Yoga mats, props, bricks, and blankets are provided. We have a kitchen facility, two bathrooms, and chairs to sit on (if required). [Yoga Schedule](https://bookwhen.com/sohamyogaldn#focus=ev-s7dx-20230904183000)

**Venue:** Riverbank House, 2 Swan Ln, London EC4R 3AD **Please note:** 1\. 🚨🚨🚨 A valid photo ID is required by building security\. 🚨🚨🚨 2\. This event follows the [NumFOCUS Code of Conduct](https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct). Please familiarise yourself with it before attending. If your RSVP status says "You're going" you will be able to get in. No need to show your RSVP confirmation when signing in. If you can no longer make it, please unRSVP as soon as possible. **Code of Conduct:** This event follows the NumFOCUS Code of Conduct. Please get in touch with the organisers with any questions or concerns. As always, there will be free food and drinks, generously provided by our host, Man Group. **Main Talks** 1. **[Nicoleta Lazar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleta-lazar-921a6864/) Query federation in modern OLAP databases** As analytics ecosystems grow more diverse, organisations increasingly need to query data across warehouses, data lakes, and operational systems without excessive data movement or duplication. **Query federation** has become essential by enabling unified SQL access and intelligent predicate pushdown into heterogeneous sources. This talk introduces the core principles of federation and why it matters for modern OLAP workloads. Using StarRocks as a model system, we highlight its vectorised execution engine, native connectors, and deep Apache Iceberg integration that together deliver high-performance lakehouse querying. 2. [Ben Guerin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjhguerin/) **How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let Claude Code Write the Python [the story of [ismypubfucked.com](http://ismypubfucked.com/ "http://ismypubfucked.com")]** 43,000 pubs. Official VOA data. One question. [ismypubfucked.com](http://ismypubfucked.com/ "http://ismypubfucked.com") got 400k visits in two weeks and wall-to-wall media coverage: from the Mirror to the Telegraph to City AM. I'm not a Python developer. I used Claude Code to wrangle government spreadsheets, match them to OpenStreetMap, and ship a working site. All in less than 6 hours from initial idea to a live website. The AI wrote the Python, I just knew what story the data could tell. This talk covers what happens when tools like Claude Code unlock Python for people who think in narratives rather than syntax, and what a decade of building viral campaigns has taught me about making people actually give a shit about spreadsheets. **Lightning Talks** 1. **TBC** 2. **TBC** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Logistics** Doors open at **6.30 pm** (get there early as you'll need to sign in with building security). Talks start at **7:00 pm**, with drinks afterwards from **9:00 pm** at The Banker (EC4). We have reduced capacity for this event, but there will be plenty of people to discuss data science questions with. Please unRSVP in good time if you realise you can't make it. We're limited by building security on the number of attendees, so please free up your place for your fellow community members. If you want me to trim lightning talks down to two or shorten any abstracts, say which ones.

Yin is a slow-paced style of Yoga, where postures are held for between three and five minutes. To help you sink into the poses, your body is supported with props to allow you to relax, breathe into the stretch and allow gravity to do its thang. The aim is to bring about mental, physical, and as it stimulates our 'Nadis'. It is suitable for beginners. Yin yoga offers a wealth of benefits that may help you to alleviate pain and tension, relieve stress and anxiety, and improve your overall well-being. **Instructions** Come in comfortable clothing, with a water bottle (if required). Yoga mats, props, bricks, and blankets are provided. We have a kitchen facility, two bathrooms, and chairs to sit on (if required). 10% discount on drop-in for meetup members. or Register Online with code FIRST for first free trail [Yoga Schedule](https://bookwhen.com/sohamyogaldn#focus=ev-s7dx-20230904183000)

Vibe Coding Collective is teaming up with **ElevenLabs** to push the boundaries of sound-first vibe coded apps. For one night, we’re getting full access to their tech to explore what’s possible when vibe coding meets voice and music generation. Whether you want to build a voice-controlled game, an AI storyteller, or a children’s app, this is your playground. Use any tools you like (Lovable, Google AI Studio, v0, Cursor, Replit…) and plug in ElevenLabs' power. 🍻 **Format 🛠️** We’ll be teaming up in small groups (2–3 people). We'll provide a specific "Voice & Vibe" challenge, then it’s heads-down building. The goal is to **vibe, experiment with sound, and see how voice and music changes the way we interact with vibe coding**. ## New to vibe coding or voice tech? ✨ No worries! We’ll provide a special **ElevenLabs Starter Kit** with API recipes and prompt examples so even total beginners can get an AI talking in minutes. ## Schedule 🕒 *(Aim to arrive by 6:50 PM so we can get your API access sorted!)* * 7:00 – ElevenLabs Presentation & Tech Demo * 7:20 – The Challenge + Team Formation 🤝 * 7:30 – Round 1: Build & Hear 💻 * 8:15 – Break (Grab a drink, hear what others are cooking) 🍺 * 8:30 – Round 2: Polish & Play 🏗️ * 9:00 – The "Vibe Check" Demos 📺 (Show/Hear what you built!) * 9:20 – Hang out, network, make friends ✌️ ## Who is it for? Anyone! Curious coders, GameDevs, artists, musicians, sound designers, voice actors, entrepreneurs. If you’ve ever wanted to talk to your computer (and have it talk back), you belong here. ## What to bring: * Laptop! 💻 * Headphones (Essential for testing those voice vibes!) 🎧 * Vibes ⚡ ## Location 📍 London College of Political Technology Newspeak House 133-135 Bethnal Green Road London E2 7DG 👉 No gatekeeping. No silence (this time). Just new voices and friends! Disclaimer: By signing up, you consent to the collection and sharing of your name, email address, photos, videos, and software, unless you explicitly opt out by informing the organizers.

**Join us for a joint meetup with our friends from Qodo and Tessl** AI coding agents are increasingly embedded in production workflows, but their failure modes are often poorly understood, difficult to detect, and even harder to evaluate systematically. ​This session examines how agent-based systems degrade under real-world conditions, focusing on three critical dimensions: reliability, code quality, and security. We’ll look at where current evaluation approaches fall short, how non-determinism and context drift impact correctness, and why seemingly “successful” generations can still introduce latent defects or vulnerabilities. ​If you’re building, evaluating, or deploying AI agents in production systems, this session will provide a grounded view of where they fail and what it takes to make them robust **Agenda** * ​​​6:00pm Venue opens * ​Join us for Drinks and Pizza! * ​​​6:30pm **Hidden Failure Modes for AI Agents** by Nupur Sharma * ​6:50pm Panel Discussion * ​**Panelists** * ​**Simon Maple -** Developer Relations at Tessl * ​**Brian Vermeer** \- Staff Developer Advocate at Snyk * ​**Nupur Sharma -** Solutions Engineer at Qodo * ​**Kunal Kushwaha -** Senior Developer Advocate EMEA at Cast AI **SPEAKERS** **​** **Simon Maple - Developer Relations at Tessl** ​Simon Maple is the Head of Developer Relations at Tessl, and AI Native Dev co-host. Previously, Simon was the Field CTO, and VP Developer Relations at Snyk, ZeroTurnaround, and IBM. He became a Java Champion in 2014, JavaOne Rockstar speaker in 2014 and 2017, Duke’s Choice award winner, Virtual JUG founder and organiser, and London Java Community co-leader ​ ​**Brian Vermeer** \- Staff Developer Advocate at Snyk ​Staff Developer Advocate for Snyk, Java Champion, and Software Engineer with over a decade of hands-on experience in creating and maintaining software. He is passionate about Java, (Pure) Functional Programming and Cybersecurity. Brian is a JUG leader for the Virtual JUG and the NLJUG. He also co-leads the DevSecCon community and is a community manager for Foojay. He is a regular international speaker on mostly Java-related conferences like JavaOne, Devnexus, Devoxx, Jfokus, JavaZone and many more. Besides all that, Brian is a military reserve for the Royal Netherlands Air Force and a Taekwondo Master / Teacher. ​ ​**Nupur Sharma -** Solutions Engineer at Qodo ​ ​**Kunal Kushwaha -** Senior Developer Advocate EMEA at Cast AI ***

**Location:** Outside The Oystercatcher (riverside entrance) Kings Lodge, 7 Victoria Parade, New Capital Quay, London, SE10 9FR *Look for the river-facing entrance near the seating area.* About a 8 minute walk from Greenwich DLR Station. **Event Description:** Join us for the first walk of the Greenwich Women’s Walking Group! This is a relaxed, friendly walking group for women aged 25–35 who want to enjoy fresh air, gentle exercise, and good conversation. We’ll stroll along the scenic riverside path at a casual pace, with plenty of time to chat and get to know each other. No fitness level is required, just bring comfy shoes, water, and a smile! Whether you’re new to the area, looking to make friends, or just want a calm and positive start to your weekend, you’re very welcome. Come along, meet like-minded women, and enjoy a gentle Saturday morning walk in beautiful Greenwich. \*\*\*\*\* PLEASE ONLY RSVP IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND :) **What to Bring:** * Comfortable shoes * Water * A friendly attitude **RSVP:** Sign up on Meetup so we know you’re coming! We can’t wait to meet you.

Elixir London Meetup; February 2026 edition. All are welcome. **Session 1: Anton Borisov - Distilling Kafka's Binary Protocol into Elixir** We'll trace a produce request to show what any Kafka client has to get right. In the BEAM ecosystem, erlkaf wraps librdkafka, brod implements the protocol in Erlang, and [kafka_ex](https://hex.pm/packages/kafka_ex) goes pure Elixir. Kafka_ex's approach is to generate serializers at compile time from Kafka's own schema definitions: plain structs, pattern matching, structural boilerplate isolated from the logic you actually think about. That design is what let us jump two major versions ahead and adapt to significant protocol changes. Let's dig into the idea, the code, and the tradeoffs. **Session 2: Evadne Wu** **\- JavaScript Execution Strategies in Elixir\-based Agent Frameworks** We'll look at integration points between elixir agents (in the AI fashion) and JavaScript execution, and all the foot guns involved. *The event is kindly sponsored by* [Fresha](https://www.fresha.com). **Time** Doors open at 18, start at 18.30. **Venue** Fresha The Bower, 207-211, Old St, Tower, London EC1V 9NR **Refreshments** Food and drinks will be provisioned on the day. **IMPORTANT**: **If you wish to take photos and post online during the event, please notify organisers first, so that attendees can opt-out from being in photos.**

FREE WALK: Hunnypot Social Part 2 WALK LEADER: Peter Jull A 17 mile section of the LDWA's 100 mile challenge event, taking place in May. This will be a slower paced walk around 2.5mph Start Otford rlwy stn. Catch 8:22 from Penshurst rlwy stn (parking is at rear) where walk will end or 8:24 from London Bridge & return from Penshurst Hunnypot 100 route featuring Knole Park then descending to a flatter section. 1400ft of ascent.

Take a break from the busy calendar and join us for **a relaxed offline coffee circle** designed for women in cybersecurity. This is your chance to connect with others in a friendly, relaxed setting. No slides, no speeches, no sales pitches, **just genuine conversation**. We’ll talk about everything from the latest trends in cyber to career journeys, challenges, and even life outside of tech. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, you’ll find a welcoming space to **share ideas, ask questions, and build meaningful connections.** Bring your curiosity, and let’s make cybersecurity conversations as warm and inviting as a good cup of coffee! Meeting Point: Inside the Café. Look for me with an embroidered black tote bag.

**Important:** Register on the [event website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026040809) is required for admission. **RSVP on meetup is turned off** Enjoy afterwork drinks and practical discussions on Apache Kafka, ClickHouse, PostgreSQL and much more. Enjoy a session designed for data engineers, architects and technical decisions-makers like you, who want to address the challenges they face in data-infrastructure. No high-level pitches but straight into practical discussions on how to build scalable, efficient open sourced-powered data platforms. **Why Attend?** * Connect with local data and tech professionals * Get practical insights into streaming, storage, and analytics with Kafka, Iceberg, PostgreSQL, and ClickHouse * Learn how to reduce operational overhead while scaling your data infrastructure performance * Bring your questions and challenges for direct discussions with Aiven experts **Agenda:** * 4:00pm\~4:30pm: Checkin, Food, Networking * 4:30pm\~6:00pm: Tech talks and Q&A * 6:00pm\~7:00pm: Happy hour, Open discussion, Networking * **Tech Talk: Context Is the New Infrastructure** **Speaker:** Stan Dmitriev (Aiven) **Tech Talk: Apache Kafka on Aiven** **Speaker:** Hugh Evans (Aiven)

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is powerful, but what if you could scale from a solo AI assistant to an entire team of specialized agents working in parallel? This session introduces Squad: an open-source framework for multi-agent orchestration that lets you define teams of AI agents with specific roles, responsibilities, and expertise. We'll progress from Copilot basics to the Copilot CLI, explore how Agents add autonomy, and see how Instructions and Skills let you customize agent behavior. Then, the climax: a live demo where a Squad team of 3 agents (Lead, Developer, Tester) stands up and builds a working application in real-time, showcasing true multi-agent collaboration. Whether you're new to AI or exploring how to scale your use of Copilot, this session will show you what's possible when agents work as a team. **YouTube Link** TBD

[The Board Walks](http://www.theboardwalks.com/) are for curious people who love deep conversations. If that sounds like you, **bring a thoughtful topic** and join us for a 5-mile walk (10,000+ steps!). **HOW IT WORKS** **Step 1: Bring a topic** Before you arrive, think of **one** topic you want to explore. A question. A thought that's been on your mind. An obsession you want to geek out on. This is your ticket to the event. **Step 2: Circle up & share** We gather in a circle. Your friendly walk host gives a speech to set the tone. Everyone shares: your name, what you're grateful for, and your topic. That's it. 60 seconds. **Step 3: Walk, talk & float** We walk 5 miles. You naturally drift into conversation with 2-3 people at a time, pulled by topics that spark your curiosity. When you're ready to move on, just say: "I'm going to float!" **Step 4: Feel more alive** Two hours flies by. You're back where you started — but you feel different. More alive. More energized. More connected to yourself and others. That's why regulars join 20+ times. *For more details, read our [Orientation Guide.](https://www.theboardwalks.com/orientation)* **HOW TO BRING A GREAT TOPIC** A great topic = something you're genuinely curious about. Recent topics include: * "What are you passionate about right now?" * "What makes a good friend?" * "What's a belief you used to hold that you've completely changed?" * "How do you want to be remembered?" * "What would you do if money wasn't a factor?" Think of your topic like the dish you're bringing to our conversational potluck. If everyone brings an A+ dish (i.e. energizing, uplifting, expansive), we'll all walk away feeling lighter and brighter. **WHAT TO EXPECT** This isn't a fitness event with casual chitchat. It's a walking think tank where we explore life's big questions together, beyond small talk. *If you're looking for light banter or a standard networking event, this probably isn't the right fit.* But if you crave depth, genuine connection, and conversations that make you feel alive? You'll love it here. **FAQ** * Wear casual athletic attire and sneakers. It's a long walk! * We have multiple first-timers at each event. We work hard to create a welcoming, inclusive, clique-free space. * We welcome people of **all** ages, backgrounds, and industries who align with the [intention](https://www.theboardwalks.com/ground-rules) of this space. * Rain or shine, we've been out here nearly every week since July 2022. If the event is cancelled, we'll let you know. * Dogs, babies in strollers, parents, and friends are welcome — please text/email them the event link so they can RSVP and prepare a topic! **LOGISTICS** * If you'll arrive over 10 minutes late, we suggest skipping the event. It's hard to find us once we start walking, and your host can't answer messages during the event. * This walk is designed for everyone to *move together at the same steady pace* (about 20 min/mile). This format works best when the whole group moves in unison. If you have mobility limitations, we kindly encourage you to find an event better suited to your needs. * Read our [Orientation Guide](https://www.theboardwalks.com/orientation) for full details. * If you enjoy the event, send **[this](http://www.theboardwalks.com/)** to a friend or sign up for our **[newsletter](https://theboardwalks.beehiiv.com/)**. We're in multiple cities with more on the way. 🤠👋 **IF YOU WANT TO GO DEEPER...** [The Board](https://stan.store/ellebeecher/p/the-board) is the next step: a high-trust collective for renaissance people devoted to creating, connecting, and building lives that light us up. * This is a global HQ for people who crave big talk, deep connection, and dream collaborations with people across industries. If the walks feel like a spark... The Board is the fire. Apply [here](https://stan.store/ellebeecher/p/the-board).

Central Ohio Radio Enthusiasts—CORE—is an informal community for anyone enthusiastic or curious about radio—whether you're new to radio and want to learn or you've been tinkering for years and want to share. Ham radio operators, GMRS users, Meshtastic fans, software-defined radio nerds, makers, and technical and non-technical folks are all welcome. No experience required or expected. This month we have **WiFi HaLow: Introduction and Practical Use** with **Alex Barbur**. Details are are [core.radio](https://core.radio).

We'll meet at Wyandot Park, cross Riverside Dr at Lane Rd, then walk south along the water to Griggs Park and back — 4.8 miles total. A scenic out-and-back route along the Scioto River. One of the nicer stretches of trail in Columbus. Parking is available at Wyandot Park, off Lane Rd. Here's an overview of the route on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uqweEoi6vcpY4esTA All paces welcome. See you there.

The global Azure community is coming together again, and Columbus is officially on the map. View the session lineup and speakers at [Global Azure Columbus 2026](https://coazure.github.io/cbus-global-azure-2026/) On **Saturday, April 18, 2026**, the Azure Columbus Meetup, DevOps Meetup, and Code and Coffee Meetup are hosting our local edition of Global Azure 2026. This is a free, community-driven event packed with learning, networking, and all things Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re building modern cloud-native apps, experimenting with AI agents, deploying containers, automating infrastructure, or just beginning your Azure journey, this event is for you! **What to Expect** * Engaging technical sessions * Real-world Azure architecture & cloud-native patterns * AI, agents, automation, and modern DevOps * Food and drinks (because learning burns calories) * Time to connect with fellow engineers, architects, and cloud enthusiasts **Who Should Attend?** * Software engineers (any language, any stack) * Cloud architects * DevOps engineers * Data professionals * AI explorers * Platform builders * Anyone who loves solving hard problems with great tools If you build, deploy, automate, scale, monitor, or optimize in Azure, you’ll feel right at home. **Why Global Azure?** Global Azure is a worldwide community event where Azure user groups host learning sessions on the same day across the globe. It’s grassroots. It’s technical. It’s practical. And it’s powered by people who genuinely love sharing what they’ve learned. And yes, it’s free to attend!

Join us for a two mile trail hike alongside the Brookside Trail at Blendon Woods Metro Park. This trail is largely gravel and does include some hills and stairs. Hopefully we will see some wildlife while hike this scenic trail! Join us!

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!