Charlie O’HaraSeeing several conferences being advertised with €700+ per person ticket prices. So it’s nice to be going to little ol’ Oggcamp tomorrow. Price £1 (and up).
And so begins my journey at BER - possibly the worst airport of a capital city in the developed world. This is, of course, because it was designed by Germans. (I’m allowed to say this, Germans, as I’ve had to live here for the last decade).
This is the vast howling wilderness outside the main terminal. It’s as if someone designed hell using only air and concrete.
Note the lack of seating, greenery, or joy.
There seems to be a constant urge to recreate the dead corridors of the old Schönefeld soviet airtpirt.
In case you somehow don’t know about the #BER mega cockup.
What a Disaster! The Story of Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
At one of several gates that DOESN’T HAVE ANY SEATING. #BER
Springtime Manchester is, unexpectedly, very beautiful from the air. #MAN
Definitely back in the UK because I can buy South Asian snacks and G&Ts for the ride into town. ❤️
I have behaved myself so far. Only a couple of points deducted for showing a giant picture of a guinea pig’s anus and then publicly slandering a YouTube celebrity while being recorded. (Thank you @garythewilliams for editing that). #Oggcamp
Goodbye Oggcamp, you florescent Nathan’s. You were beautiful, as always. Now I must away to my bed in anticipation of a 4am taxi to the airport.
Listening to conversations this weekend has made me realise that on the left we really need to get a handle on our own tendency towards conspiracy theories. Lefties seem to yearn as much as the right for a secret evil plan grand explanation.
Indulging in conspiracy thinking is almost childlike, and diverts our energies from dealing with glaring issues sitting right in front of us.
“AI is a tool they invented to oppress us” turns the AI-industry from something we can regulate and control to a “what’s the point in fighting? I’ll just turn my back and ignore it” bogeyman.
There’s a beauty in Northerners and their air travel clothing. Trackies, leggings, chunky soft blanket cardigans. It’s a big comfy adventure.
Then there’s the Alderley Edge couples. Him, over 2 meters tall, gym stacked. Her, half the size, duck lips. Both in their comfy branded soft tracksuits. Their teeth gleam white in the duty free lighting, freshly implanted. They don’t talk about their true tooth nubs.
Bickering arguments pop out of the background hubbub. “I dinna say I packed it!” “Just wait, you can have a cuppa on the flight”. “Bloody stop it you two”. None of it bad natured. Just the intragroup signalling of soft primates.
The glamma nannas are especially delightful. 70 years plus, but they’ve got salon-fresh hair, complexly made up, leggings and T-shirt. Just gal pals with their near-identical daughters.
The business-suited Important Men stand out in this crowd. Blazers over expensive shirts. Their ever-increasing paunch checked by a tight 100€ belt. They stride through the crowds of chattering nannas and pink wheelie cases, knowing they’re about to own that meeting.
Sorry, started channelling Hemingway there. Flaneuring in the airport.
My god EasyJet can get fucked for announcing “gate closed” for their flights 40 minutes before takeoff to - and I quote - “make sure people get here on time”.
Back in the land of absolute flatness. Goodbye Peak District. Goodbye Pennines. Goodbye slightly sloping streets.
Weekend highlights:
@annabonnie talking about engaging with Gen Z and A on FOSS.
@kianryan and @falken on Psions, Newtons, and Z88s.
@milperks and her home assistant security setup.
@erioldoesdesign talking about
https://opensourcedesign.net
Jasper (anyone know his handle?) leading a GREAT discussion on usability + design in FOSS.
Oggcamp and Manchester were yet again fantastic fun. So glad it’s running again after the Corona fallow years. Cannot wait for the next one! ❤️
#Oggcamp #oggcamp2026
Andreas Gohr@awfulwoman @annabonnie that Gen Z/A talk sounds super interesting! Are there slides or a recording available somewhere?
Lucy B@awfulwoman it was good to (briefly) catch up. I'm really glad you could make it. I'm looking forward to next year already.
Denis Defreyne@awfulwoman I went to Garten der Welt yesterday, where they have a lookout point where you can see how freakishly FLAT everything is here. It freaked me out a little.
Olly Maunder@awfulwoman 👋 from Peak District. I went for a run in Berlin once. So flat that I don't understand how the river works
@roomaroo I honestly keep forgetting there’s a river. How can a city have a forgettable river?
Patrick H. Lauke@awfulwoman did you at least get time to enjoy manc airport's outside smoking area that looks like a prison exercise yard? just needs some weightlifting equipment in the corner and some gangs
@patrick_h_lauke Glamma Nannas with tatts and a shiv.
@awfulwoman the secret is to find the biggest baddest nanna and deck her ... then the other smokers will respect you
@awfulwoman had to dig out the shot i knew i had taken at the time https://mastodon.social/@patrick_h_lauke/115020607085218427
Ian Turton@awfulwoman and then making you stand in line for 50 minutes before the plane lands
Terence Eden@awfulwoman did you also get caught in the "WEF want to chip us all" chat? Noped right of that one!
kianryan ☑️🐙🏳️🌈@Edent oh yes, that was another one. I suspect that particular theory was injected into conversations several times over the weekend.
@awfulwoman
It can definitely be difficult, especially in the current climate, to straddle the line between valid criticism of *waves arms* this, and falling off the wagon.
It can definitely be difficult, especially in the current climate, to straddle the line between valid criticism of *waves arms* this, and falling off the wagon.
@kianryan very much so.
Iain Cuthbertson@awfulwoman whoops, sorry!
Cat Ashton Ryan@awfulwoman the pavement poet is a guy I know from the Hackspace mill... 😂
@CatRyan because of course
tamesidesmurf@awfulwoman best architecture ever!
Mark Gjøl@awfulwoman Having always had Copenhagen airport as my home port, I have always thought most other airports were somewhat lacking. Not all, but you tend to get high standards when this is your reference.
Kaspar (allegedly not haunted)@awfulwoman Man will ja all die herumlungernden Consultants nicht im Stadtbild haben 🙃