How about we keep the current format, but with a different organisation.

20 minute talk, which will generate quite an amount of discussion afterwards, followed by a 5 or 10 minute talk. This would allow those who are very keen on discussing the subject to do so, while not impacting the longer talks that come after it.

The problem is that if we give longer pauses between each, we're going to end up with a week long Summit. There's only so much we can do in a day.

That being said, I found it maybe a bit troubling that at 6PM, everyone just left and was gone. As if there were more important things to do than the Summit. I understand full well that for some it is 100% work, and that they don't necessarily want to do over hours, but I'm sure for the biggest of the mass, this is a hobby, a project they enjoy and "do for fun" (regardless of the actual seriousness of their implication). Why then do we have to split up, and only be able to spend the evening with whomever we happen to have a better relationship with?

As much as I enjoy going out and listen to music, I don't think the Summit is the place for that. I remember a big ring of people outside the bar, where we could actually hear each other talk, discussing a variety of subjects, and just messing about. Exact same thing upstairs next to the toilets and cloak room. You had a bunch of people who were more interested in having good discussions whilst enjoying a nice drink rather than being deafened by the pounding sounds of distorted guitars and blinded by the Nokia logos all over the walls, all the whilst being irradiated by the blue drinks. (I'm mostly joking here, for those who missed it). I don't mind having a proper nice out, but then let's call it that, and I don't think the Maemo community, which is mainly composed by people who don't do clubbing is in the right mindset for that. What I'm trying to say is: let the people who want to go clubbing go, but also offer an alternative which allows for proper discussions to take place.

Then, the next day, there was the binge-drinking bar in the N900 room. Which was a lot better on a conversation base, but was too formal. I don't know why, but ALL the discussions were about Maemo. How come that one night, we had a mix of people talking about their kids or joking around, and the next night, everyone talking about projects, projects, projects. Was it the talks? Was it the feel of the evening? Was it because we were still in the N900 room?

No, I believe it was because, simply put, the second day, everyone was still wearing their maemodogtags. On the first night, most people chucked it away, most people went back to the hotel and changed, and knew they were going to a "party". On the second night, the drinking part of the party was brought to us, but I don't know if a lot of us went back to the hotel, took some time off to call the wife and kids, and then go out.

I'd like to see some tinkering about this, as I believe we can have an appropriate mix.

Talking about the DSP is fun. Granted. Talking about your boss pissed you off and you nearly missed your flight, over a nice pint, will make the former conversation 10 times more fun.

My 2c,