Our local Fediverse timeline is a surreal mix of people happily posting maskless selfies from #FOSDEM while others share alarming measurements of poor air circulation or mention their flu-like symptoms.

This is essentially the exact situation which prompted the idea of #fluConf last February.

#fluConf2025

We recognize the value of conferences like #FOSDEM.

Representatives from a very large number of open-source projects attend each year. People have deep conversations about their experiences with various aspects of #freeCulture.

People who are trying to get into the software field meet their role models. Some of them get hired. It can be a great opportunity, so naturally there's a significant Fear Of Missing Out in the #freeSoftware community, not just in Europe but across the world

Attending big conferences like this often means booking time off, travel, and accommodations well in advance.

It can be expensive, and it's not always easy or possible to cancel last minute if you start to feel sick.

Taken together with that FOMO, and the desire to meet friends you might not have seen for several years, the natural outcome is that many people ignore that runny nose, slight cough, or mild fever, and attend #FOSDEM anyway.

There are some significant barriers to organizing the event in a safe way. The venue which has always housed the event is quite simply way too small for the number of attendees, and it's scheduled during the peak of Europe's flu season.

The organizers could have instituted a much stronger health policy: mandating masks, providing rapid tests, and ensuring proper ventilation in their developer rooms, but the event is largely run by volunteers who likely do not have the training to deal with those who might object to any kind of enforcement.

It's surely a really difficult situation to be in.

So if you are at #FOSDEM, we hope you're vaccinated, wearing an appropriate mask, opting not to enter rooms that are simply too crowded, and taking the range of other precautions that are necessary to avoid catching any number of infections that circulate in Europe this time of year.

The aim of #fluConf is to provide an on alternative for the many people who are already disabled by #covid, or are immune-compromised, or living with those who are vulnerable, or just hold the reasonable position of not wanting to be infected with a potentially deadly or debilitating illness.

So, if you're reading this, welcome to #fluConf2025 !