As I write, we are a little over 24 hours away from the start of DConf Online 2020, our first online version of DConf. All of the talks for Day One are uploaded, the livestreams are scheduled, and #BeerConf is almost ready to launch.
The details
All of the prerecorded talks will be accessible on our YouTube channel via the DConf Online 2020 playlist (look under the live chat box for the full playlist; you may have to scroll down). Use the live chat to ask questions during the talk. The speaker will be available to provide short answers in the chat box. Longer, more complex answers, and/or additional context, will be provided in the Q & A livestream. The speaker will let you know if he is providing more detail in the livestream. If you don’t want to tab over to the livestream and miss part of the talk, the livestream will be saved to our channel once it ends and you will be able to go back and watch any part of it you may be interested in.
Each day, the Q & A livestream will begin at 13:50 UTC. Each speaker will be in the livestream 5 minutes before his talk begins and will be available to answer questions for the duration of the talk and for up to 15 minutes after. As I said above, you may ask questions in the live chat of the talk, but you may also ask them in the live chat of the livestream (and will likely have to if you have questions after the talk ends). Depending on the amount of time available, the number of questions, and the speaker’s schedule, each speaker may stay longer than 15 minutes after the talk, but is not required to.
Please note that speakers are not expected to answer off-topic questions. It’s entirely up to them if they do so.
I’ll be hosting the livestream throughout each day. I’ll be chatting with the speakers about their talks and D in general to fill in the dead time when no one is asking questions. After the conference is over, I intend to chop up the livestream and upload the Q & A session for each talk as separate videos.
On Day One, we have an Ask us Anything session scheduled with Walter and Átila. This will take place in the Q & A livestream for that day. We also have a livecoding session by Adam Ruppe scheduled. That will take place in a separate livestream when the Day One Q & A livestream ends (links below). Adam will be monitoring the chat as he codes, so he will answer any questions you have.
The livestream links:
- Day One Q & A Livestream (starts at 13:50 UTC on November 21)
- Adam’s Livecoding Session (starts at 20:30 UTC on November 21)
- Day Two Q & A Livestream (starts at 13:50 UTC on November 22)
BeerConf
From 18:00 UTC November 20, we’ll be running a Jitsi Meet instance for our online version of BeerConf. Everyone is welcome to join, no alcohol required. If you aren’t familiar with BeerConf, you can read a brief description of it on the DConf Online 2020 website. You can also read about it here on the blog.
BeerConf will run all weekend long. You can come and go as you please, during talks, in between talks, day time, night time, anytime!
See this D forum thread for details on how to join.
The prizes
Throughout the event, I’ll be announcing different ways for viewers to win various prizes. We’ll be handing out t-shirts, coffee mugs, and other items from the DLang Swag Emporium (and maybe a DMan shirt or two). I’ll announce the details in the Q & A livestream and, if a talk is ongoing, in the talk’s live chat. Sometimes, winning the prize may involve tweeting, in which case I’ll announce the details on Twitter, so be sure to follow us if you aren’t already.
Additionally, everyone who asks a question to which a speaker provides an answer will be entered into at least two random drawings. There will be one random drawing at the end of each day which includes those eligible on that day. The winners of these drawings will receive a $50 Amazon eGift card. The winner of the two-day drawing will receive a $100 Amazon eGift card. If you win on Day One, you will not be eligible to win on Day Two, but both winners will be eligible to win the two-day drawing.
Funding for all prizes comes from the D Language Foundation General Fund. You can contribute by buying DConf Online 2020 swag or other items from the DLang Swag Emporium, by selecting the D Language Foundation as your preferred AmazonSmile charity and shopping through smile.amazon.com, or by donating directly to the General Fund.
Swag prize winners will be announced in a talk’s live chat and/or the Q & A livestream, depending on the nature of the prize task. For prize tasks that take place on Twitter, winners will not be announced, but will be notified through private message. Amazon eGift card winners will be announced in the livestream. Since YouTube apparently no longer allows private messages, winners on YouTube will be instructed on how to claim their prize when they are announced in the livestream.
Enjoy!
We want to thank all of our speakers for volunteering their time to put together these presentations and making themselves available for Q & A. Without them, this event would not be possible. We hope you enjoy DConf Online 2020!
