WHYcast transcript episode 28

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Transcript 28

[Nancy]: Hi, and welcome to the WHYcast episode 28. I'm Nancy.

[Chantal]: And I’m Chantal. We are the hosts of the only podcast about a hacker camp in the universe. This volunteer-run event will take place this year in the Netherlands, approximately 42 kilometers north of Amsterdam, from August 8 to 12, 2025.

[Nancy]: So, Chantal, what are we talking about?

[Chantal]: Of course, we're talking about the field day. It is this Saturday, so tomorrow, and the Orga meet, because that happens every two weeks. Tickets and sponsors—because we have some news. We have an interview with Team:Content (surprise, surprise—that’s me) and we will talk about CFPizza and what that is. You'll hear later, and we have a where to hack segment, of course.

[Nancy]: And there are more places—numerous places to go and hack soon.

[Chantal]: Cool.

[Nancy]: Let me start with the news. Tomorrow is field day. The weather will probably be quite nice, which is an improvement from last time. So bring your sunscreen—very important. We’ll have stickers, tiaras, and food if you sign up on the wiki. You’ll get to talk with other teams in the canteen of the “horse table,” and you can go on the field to see what it looks like.

[Nancy]: I will be there with my recording gear for the WHYcast. Will you be there, Chantal?

[Chantal]: Not sure yet, but maybe.

[Nancy]: Either way, I’ll be there. If you want to tell something cool about your team, come find me and we’ll do a quick interview with some of the volunteers who make this event happen.

[Chantal]: And if you want to talk for a long time, that's also possible.

[Nancy]: No problem at all.

[Nancy]: Also, coming Wednesday is the online Orga meet—that’s every two weeks. Last time we forgot to send a reminder email, and fewer people showed up. Friendly reminder: Wednesday, April 9th, online Orga meet, and two weeks after that again.

[Chantal]: We need you all to be there because we need to stress test the YITC.

[Nancy]: The YITC—yeah. It will make Splodin and others very happy if we stress test it with cameras on. No more nine Chantals like last time.

[Chantal]: It was funny to see people confused about why there were nine Chantals.

[Nancy]: Too many Chantals in the room, maybe.

[Chantal]: No, never too many.

[Nancy]: Ticket sales: approximately 2,800 tickets sold now, leaving 700 tickets. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, please do—and buy some merch while you can. We have hoodies, glow-in-the-dark items, and cool stuff. Pre-order helps Team:Merch know how much to order.

[Chantal]: Yes—pre-order and pick up at the event. It really helps Team:Merch.

[Nancy]: Absolutely.

[Nancy]: Great news from Team:Sponsors: Silver Sponsor packages are almost sold out—only one left! Other packages remain. If you want to support this event (send to engineers, not recruiters), reach out to sponsors@WHY2025.org or find info on our website.

[Nancy]: We’ll talk about sponsors later. Now, how many people signed up for CFPizza Night?

[Chantal]: CFPizza Night is a meetup we’ll discuss later. I’ll check live—17 so far this afternoon.

[Nancy]: And we’ll explain what it is later in the show—very soon. Show notes say “Interview CFPizza with Chantal,” so let’s listen to us from the past—us again.

[Nancy]: I really want to talk about something happening at the beginning of May—just before the CFP ends—Towel Day, May 25th. Very important deadline, people, because you and I decided to organize something with WHY and WICCA. Can you tell a bit about it?

[Chantal]: We’re organizing CFPizza Night to help people write their CFPs or even brainstorm a presentation they can give at a conference. Since we’re both involved in WHY—and I also help run Wiccon through WICCA—it was a natural hook. We’ll help you structure your submission text and give tips on presenting on stage.

[Chantal]: It’s on May 9th, 2025, in Amersfoort—hybrid, so you can join online from anywhere.

[Nancy]: Cool.

[Nancy]: Why did we do this? Can you explain?

[Chantal]: Some people don’t realize they have something interesting to share; others fear rejection. We want to help make your CFP the best it can be.

[Nancy]: Or they think their story isn’t interesting or technical enough.

[Chantal]: We’re here to tell you everything is interesting. Get rid of that imposter, kick it in the butt, and submit it.

[Chantal]: I’m really excited—brainstorming presentation ideas can get super crazy, and a crazy idea can become a kick-ass talk.

[Nancy]: There will be an audience for your talk?

[Chantal]: Yes—people want to know how you think about it, not that you’re the world’s leading expert.

[Nancy]: You kicked your imposter.

[Chantal]: I had to! I had a lot of support from others who kicked me too. We want to pay that forward—kick some butts on stages.

[Chantal]: It is close to the CFP deadline, but many organizers see a rush of submissions on the closing day. You have enough time, and submitting doesn’t mean you must have your presentation ready.

[Nancy]: We’ll help you.

[Chantal]: Yeah.

[Nancy]: For Wiccon, it’s about women in cybersecurity. You and your Team:Content also set themes for CFP submissions, right?

[Chantal]: Yes. We wanted diverse topics that fit a hacker camp. Our themes: Wonderful Creations (show-and-tell of things you’ve made); Hacking (break, fix, or both—software, hardware, human ware); Yearn for a Better Future (ethics, privacy, politics, mental health, economics); and the Square Hole (miscellaneous cool stories).

[Chantal]: We’re also helping Team:Family make content for kids. If you can explain something to a five-year-old, you know it well. We’re providing a foundational hacking track for beginners too.

[Nancy]: Sounds awesome. All info is on the WHY website and womenofwicca.nl, including CFPizza Night sign-up and theme details. There are blog posts from Team:Content for more info.

[Nancy]: Please submit—we’re yearning for cool content. What a lovely interview, Chantal.

[Chantal]: Oh, thank you. It was nice—and so meta.

[Nancy]: Let’s move on to Where to Hack. Each week we share where you can find WHY-minded people.

[Chantal]: Coming up this weekend is Calstart—a science festival in Amersfoort (pronounce the R). It’s arts based on science, cozy, with experiments and fun. It tours to Zwolle, Groningen, and Dordrecht in the coming weeks. Check calstart.nl.

[Nancy]: We’ll share the link in show notes. WHY flyers and stickers are on the ship Sierra and Deep—big science ship—and maybe at WHY festival too.

[Nancy]: Another event in the Netherlands is at the maker space in Groningen. They host Groningen Battle Bots (robot combat). The third edition is April 13th; sign up by April 6th if you want to join the fun. Last time had about 20 bots—it’s serious robot wars.

[Chantal]: If you have a robot warrior, sign up. Building one now might be short notice, but go for it.

[Nancy]: That was Where to Hack. Now, Vacancy of the Week.

[Nancy]: We’re still looking for a coordinator for Team:Parking—check past episodes or the wiki. We also need a coordinator for the Merge team to handle logistics (not full strategy)—getting the merge from manufacturer to the fields, sorting, and distribution.

[Chantal]: It needs to be in the shop; coordinate delivery, answer questions, all that.

[Nancy]: If you want to help, go to the wiki’s Merge page or contact Nadia (Murph2). Let’s dress the hacker scene.

[Nancy]: Chantal, any messages from listeners?

[Chantal]: Nope.

[Chantal]: So anyone listening, if you have questions (on any topic), let us know in comments, email, or DM. We’d love to answer.

[Nancy]: If you don’t have questions, please like and subscribe—it helps us reach more people. Send questions to whycast@why2025.org.

[Nancy]: Thank you all for listening to us, and we hope to see you next Friday—WHYday.