When I walked in just before the first session started at eight thirty, two servicemen with carts were  trying to take away the breakfast and the coffee pots, from a continuous stream of late-arrivers desperately in need of caffeine, who took their turns in carefully tilting the almost-empty pot to get the last drops. The pot seemed to have a lot potential, and offered some to almost everyone.

The session on open source electronic data capturing system had a total eleven people,  including three speakers, in a room designed for 200. It started with, ” Thank you, everyone, I am glad we didn’t have to call our moms to come to listen in…”

Moms are our best friends.

Turned out to be a fantastic session, with overview, history, landscape, competitor analysis,  case studies, how-tos. Balanced, in -depth, well delivered.  Most of the commercial EDC system are inhibitingly expensive, open source seems to be a good solution for  small to medium-sized companies.

Glad I got up for it, though how hard.

The convention center is now empty.  The sign above the row of computer stations at the end of the hall now reads “yber Cafe” -  I wonder why someone took the C. I decided to bid good-bye to the press room in the back of the exhibit hall, only to find the hustling market place now empty floor, litters everywhere. The “press room” sign as well as the room itself could not be found anymore.