Wikipedia:Meetup/Sydney/April 2007

April 25
After meeting at Town Hall steps, a headcount was performed and the booking at the Grace Hotel's cafe was increased to 24. Wikipedians who were present included:


 * Alastair
 * BenAveling
 * Casliber
 * Chriswaterguy
 * Enochlau
 * Ian Rose
 * Jasabella
 * Jashank
 * Jimbo Wales
 * John Dalton (late arrival)
 * Kewpid
 * Nickj
 * PeterJeremy
 * Ta bu shi da yu
 * Tamsinjane
 * One Salient Oversight
 * Petesmiles
 * WikiWookie
 * Wm

Plus several guests!

creates:

Photos
Photos from User:Enochlau (I only uploaded the better ones to the Commons; for all, see this):

Photo from Cas (There must be some better ones - I jumped in the photo and my head accidentally obscured Tamsin):



Image:Wikipedia Anzac meetup online.jpg

April 25th
Jimbo Wales is coming to town, and he's interested in meeting up with us! I'm suggesting we meet at Town Hall in the evening as the 25th is a Wednesday. - Ta bu shi da yu 08:10, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I would definitely be interested! Let me know about details when you find out more. Thanks :) enochlau (talk) 11:48, 10 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Me too. But Anzac Day? Wm 12:00, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I think he's only here for a day. enochlau (talk) 12:18, 10 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'll have had a long day and will need to be up for work the following morning, but I'm definitely interested. But is Town Hall a good spot on that evening? We'll certainly see some Australian colour...! Andrewa 12:17, 10 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'd only want to harangue him about the date-link/autoformat mess, and the poor standards of prose. Perhaps I'd better not come. Tony 12:30, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Yep i'd be there Albatross2147 12:52, 10 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I reckon Town Hall on Anzac Day evening'll be a great way for him to experience Sydney in all its glory - I'll be there...! Cheers, Ian Rose 13:08, 10 April 2007 (UTC)


 * As much as I would like to come, school starts the next morning. Thanks for the offer though Hohohob 00:01, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Will definitely come. I'm going away for a few days, but will delay my pleasures for a day in order to meet Jimmy. Many thanks to enochlau for notifying me. Thoughts about:
 * location: Jimmy's probably recognizable enough that saying "Meet us on town hall steps" will possibly not be ideal, with other people joining us spontaneously - and presumably we want to keep this to Wikipedians. (Others can shell out to go to his talk at the Hilton - those of us who are too wiki-obsessed to hold down actual jobs will really appreciate our own meeting with him.) Perhaps we could meet near where he's staying, in the hotel bar or something, unless he has his own suggestion.
 * time: When you said "in the evening as the 25th is a Wednesday" you possibly forgot that it's a holiday. What suits Jimmy? For me, the earlier the better, but I'll be there regardless of time. --Chriswaterguy talk 00:33, 11 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, it's tough for a lot of us to get to other places... if a few people come along for the ride, then so be it :-) I do understand your concerns though! We also need to take into account the fact that Jimbo is a stranger in town, and we don't want him to get lost (Angela almost did on the first Sydney Wikimeetup...). Town Hall is nice and central, and if we get there early with a sign, that would also probably help! 09:03, 11 April 2007 (UTC)
 * P.S. the date is set by necessity: by coincidence, Jimbo arrives on ANZAC day for the conference (!!). - Ta bu shi da yu 09:05, 11 April 2007 (UTC)
 * If getting lost is a problem why not arrange for one definite atttendee to meet Jimbo at his room or airport and accompany him to a general meeting spot? I can't volunteer as I'm not a definite (family commitments). John Dalton 01:05, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Hmmm... good idea! - Ta bu shi da yu 09:32, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm a definite attendee and can find my way around Sydney. Would be glad to help. Let me know. --Chriswaterguy talk 01:18, 16 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I would come, but there's an ANZAC Day assembly that I'm helping with for school the next day, and we've gotta finalise the presentation and speeches. Thanks for asking me though. - Vicer 01:28, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Will there be food involved? If so, we can meet whereever we agree to eat.  Regards, Ben Aveling 07:05, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'm with you, Hohohob. Damn school. Thanks for telling me about this, though! —   hippi ippi  ++++ 08:13, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * He's coming? Sounds great; will be there! What is the meeting time?Takhisis 16:15, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Yes. I'm fine with whatever is decided, so when a consensus on all the details is made, please forward everything to my talk page. thanks, ---   ÅñôñÿMôús   Dîššíd3nt  06:12, 12 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Oh, hey, I wanna come, assignments permitting. --Sumple (Talk) 06:50, 14 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'm coming if Jimbo is bringing his Corporate Amex :P Your shout, Jimmy. Um, actually, on that subject - where exactly will we be going? I'm now thinking, we actually probably wouldn't be going to a pub, say, because I don't think there are any age restrictions in place. So, um, what's happening, there? Gorman 08:17, 15 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Its already the 20th. What exactly is going on? Have we decided on the details yet? If possible, I would like to know about the details of the meetup at least a couple of days before the actual meetup. Thanks,  &mdash;ÅñôñÿMôús Dîššíd3nt 06:12, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Where?
I propose Town Hall station because it is in a central location. It's traditionally where all Sydney wikimeets start at anyway :-) What do people think? - Ta bu shi da yu 08:53, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I like the general location. I don't know if Jimbo is so well known that the town hall steps would be a problem or not.  Any thoughts on where would we go once we meet up?  (There's a tapas bar around the corner I'm quite fond of... :-)  Regards, Ben Aveling 09:23, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Personally I'd go back to the first suggestion of Town Hall itself rather than the station, but not too fussed. Anyway, second the tapas! Cheers, Ian Rose 09:44, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'd say Town Hall steps as well... the station is a little wild. What qualifies as "evening" though? enochlau (talk) 12:36, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Mmmm...tapas! Town hall steps is better I think. The station is a bit too big; people might get confused which corner we are meeting. I know I would :) Town Hall steps will be crowded on Anzac day so maybe we should take a sign. Takhisis 16:24, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'd like to go with initial meeting spot of Town Hall steps. Not sure where to go after there :-) As for evening... I've sent an email to Jimbo asking what time he can make it and pointing him to this page. - Ta bu shi da yu 21:54, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'm open to suggestions but the place I'm thinking of is Casa Asturiana. From town hall, head downhill past the cinemas and turn right at the monorail.  Lots of space upstairs.  Regards, Ben Aveling 17:58, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * You are probably thinking of one of the places in Liverpool Street as there are several Spanish eateries in that location. Not a bad idea although I wonder if numbers will be a problem. The Spanish restaurants tend to be noisy and have long tables so that each person is limited to conversation with those immediately adjacent. Chinatown is also close by where several very capacious restaurants with large round tables are available and that might be more conducive to a group discussion. Even Chinese restaurant tables are limited to a certain size though so it might be an idea to look at numbers and even explore booking a suitably large table. Wm 00:02, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Here's a suggestion. For a meeting spot from memory there is an anchor sculpture in the square next to the Town Hall, about 50m from the steps.  It's close enough to the steps to see them, but far enough to avoid the crowds.  The location and existence of the anchor needs to be verified though as my memory is distant.  This map is centred on where I think it is.  One off beat thing to do would be to walk (whereis says 1.28km=26min) down to The Rocks and experience some Anzac Day ambiance then walk under the Cahill Expressway to Observatory Hill and have a picnic (BYO food).  Fantastic views of Sydney, low cost (good for impoverished students), underage people can attend and the group size is unlimited.  If the rotunda is empty we could grab it.  The minuses are being an evening everyone would have to rug up, if it pours rain it would be unpleasant and the walkway under the expressway might make some nervous of a night. It's only a suggestion to consider.  Having a predetermined location would help those who can only drop in for a short time or will be late. (A less isolated picnic location is the lawn/park in front of the MCA with Opera House views.) John Dalton 01:43, 12 April 2007 (UTC)


 * There is an anchor, yes, it is in the square to the side of Town Hall. I would really like to attend but unfortunately cannot. Give my best wishes to Jimbo WalesJamessugrono 11:09, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

I suspect anywhere in the city will be quite busy on ANZAC day. We want somewhere that's not too noisy so we can hear each other talk - this rules out a pub. If we are going to eat somewhere, we will probably need to book - the last meetup demonstrated the difficulties of a largish group rocking up to a restaurant without a booking on a busy day. I support John Dalton's suggestion of a BYO picnic (if we all bring a bit extra we can share and cover Jimbo). There are plenty of suitable picnic areas around the CBD: Darling Harbour (eg Tumbalong Park), the Botanic Gardens (though this is closed at night), the Domain or Hyde Park would be possible alternative to the Rocks or Observatory Hill. --PeterJeremy 10:33, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

I think there's a good argument for meeting at the anchor. (Central, easy to find, but not so much so that we'll get non-wikipedians.)  But exactly where is it? Can someone post a map or a picture? And more importantly, where do we go from there? Regards, Ben Aveling 22:06, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

A picnic would be ideal, except that it's at night. Do we want to have it in the cool evening air? (I don't mind.)
 * If so, let's check the weather forecast a few days before and check that it's fine. We can bring plastic sheets in case the grass is damp. But we need a backup plan as well.
 * If we want a restaurant/cafe... I'm fine with that as well. I mainly know cheap and cheerful places, that are likely to be noisy. Glebe and Newtown give more options and could be quieter (and I'd be happy to help with getting Jimmy there), but I don't know if that's a problem in terms of how much time Jimmy has. So perhaps the question is... does anyone know a quiet place in the city? --Chriswaterguy talk 23:28, 18 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Chris do you like Well Connected on Glebe Point Road (off Broadway)? If the city is gunna be busy with anzac two-up and everything else, and Broadway is not too far away. Well Connected is near the unis so meals are a reasonable price, they serve alcohol but under 18's can join us, and upstairs has enough space for a group. Just a suggestion but keep in mind if there's any restaurant bookings they need to be made soon. A lot of people are out on anzac day so most places particularly in the city will fill up fast. Bren talk 05:27, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm not much of a fan of Well Connected. enochlau (talk) 06:19, 20 April 2007 (UTC)


 * If we think the city will be too hectic then how about the Italian Piazza (forum) in Norton St Leichhardt? We could meet by the fountain there. Its public but yet off the beaten tourist track. Not sure where to eat though. cheers, Casliber | talk  |  contribs 08:17, 20 April 2007 (UTC)


 * The city is much better for me, I don't know that I could make it to Leichardt. My sense is that most of the Anzac day stuff will be long over by late afternoon.  Certainly, there will be people in the city who wouldn't normally be there, being a public holiday.  At the same time, a lot of the usual workers won't be there.  And the Italian forum will probably be at least as hectic.  Regards, Ben Aveling 23:46, 20 April 2007 (UTC)


 * True. I'm not really fussed and the consensus seems to be town hall steps initially anyway. cheers, Casliber | talk  |  contribs 02:45, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

When?
I will be around with my 4 year old daughter for the marching and I live in Western Sydney. I'd be more interested in something post-march / lunchish than evening, let me know if the situation changes.Garrie 05:05, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

I'd also prefer sometime earlier, rather than later. --PeterJeremy 10:33, 13 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'd also prefer something not too late. Depending on venue, I'll need to head off around 6:30 - 7:00.  Regards, Ben Aveling 08:29, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

The real question is, what time(s) during that particular day is Jimbo free? enochlau (talk) 06:37, 14 April 2007 (UTC)


 * OK, I just got an email from Jimbo:
 * Yes, the evening of the 25th will be fine. Because I speak early the next morning, early will be better than later.
 * --Jimbo
 * So I'm thinking 5pm-ish? Anyway, I'm double-checking... - Ta bu shi da yu 08:27, 16 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Perfect for me. Other people might prefer earlier still of course. Ben Aveling 08:33, 16 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Whatever is decided is fine with me. Has a consensus been made on where we are going yet? ---   ÅñôñÿMôús   Dîššíd3nt  09:38, 17 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Doesn't look like it. See above.  Ben Aveling 22:06, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

I'll be coming from an all-day gig in Western Sydney, so the earlier time doesn't really suit me... but it seems a goer... happy to give my mobile number to anyone who will have a 'phone with them (and glad of yours) so I can catch up with you hopefully... Andrewa 10:21, 19 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I can make Town Hall at 5pm on 25th. Thanks Cas for the tip-off. Alastair Haines 10:43, 19 April 2007 (UTC)
 * ditto. cheers, Casliber | talk  |  contribs 10:47, 19 April 2007 (UTC)


 * me too. Mike 09:35, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
 * 5pm at Town Hall steps it is. I'm going to email Jimbo to let him know! - Ta bu shi da yu 04:11, 22 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I'll try to make it, but might not be there by 5pm. Will there be a way to join the group post 5pm?  Based on past meetups, what would be the latest time it is worth arriving by?  John Dalton 11:49, 22 April 2007 (UTC)


 * "Based on past meetups" - we don't really have much statistical data to go by :D Perhaps just get Ta bu shi da yu's number if he doesn't mind? enochlau (talk) 21:18, 22 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I will try to make it for 5, but it's prob gonna be difficult to get away from some prior committments, so would either be late or (unfortunately) a no-show.--cjllw ʘ  TALK 04:50, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Finalised meetup place and time & apologies
Folks, firstly - terrifically sorry to everyone that I've been so disorganised about this whole thing! I'm going to try to meetup with Jimbo at the Hilton hotel tomorrow (probably will get there terrifically early) and then take him to our meeting place. Which is Town Hall steps at 5pm (sorry folks if I've stepped on any organisation that I missed!) Not sure what we do after then... I'm sure that someone will know a good place to take the God-king Jimbo :-) - Ta bu shi da yu 07:59, 24 April 2007 (UTC)


 * If it's pouring with rain, I suggest we meet directly under the Town Hall steps (which is outside an entrance to Town Hall station). That's close enough that it's easy to check both places, in case of confusion and to make sure no one's left behind. --Chriswaterguy talk 12:37, 24 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Well it was raining for dawn service at Minchinbury. Hope it's dry later, sorry I can't hang around till 5pm but I hope the meetup is a success. Garrie 21:27, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

WET WEATHER
Wouldn't you know it? Jimbo comes to town and the drought breaks. Anyway, meet under the stairs if it's raining too much. - Ta bu shi da yu 04:48, 25 April 2007 (UTC)


 * If you're late and wonder where we are, you can call my mobile - 0400 220 700. --Chriswaterguy talk 04:51, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Question

 * Could someone please inform me about what sort of things go on at wikimeetups, and how long that sort of thing can really be expected to go for? I'm just curious. :) Thanks,  &mdash;ÅñôñÿMôús Dîššíd3nt 23:18, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Another two questions: 1. What happens if its bad weather (like im talking realy bad0 because it was very miserable where I am today (I dont know about Sydney; Im about 1 hour away) 2. Are you sure Jimbos coming?...Just to confirm... Thanks alot,  &mdash;ÅñôñÿMôús Dîššíd3nt 08:40, 24 April 2007 (UTC)
 * There is shelter from rain at Town Hall steps. I will be aiming to arrive a little early, because I'm not too worried about getting wet. The nice thing about cloud cover is, it can actually increase air temperature around this time of year. Wind would be nasty, though. There are a lot of underground walkways with shops, bookstores and snackeries. I'm about an hour away too. Just come! :D Alastair Haines 10:24, 24 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Great! Ok then, I'll be there.  &mdash;ÅñôñÿMôús Dîššíd3nt 12:43, 24 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm sorry, I just cant make it. Maybe next time I'll come. Its a shame - I would have liked to come, but oh well. Maybe next time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Anonymous Dissident (talk • contribs)
 * Jimbo is definitely coming :-) Meet UNDER the stairs if it's too wet. - Ta bu shi da yu 04:46, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

ANZAC march
Anyone interested in catching up earlier than the official meetup? email me, I'll be in after I finish local dawn services.Garrie 06:13, 24 April 2007 (UTC)