Alex Valavanis1,* and Peter Russell2 1Inkscape Developers Team valavanisalex@gmail.com 2The Test People, 5 Albion Place, Leeds LS1 6JL, UK peter.russell@thetestpeople.com Introduction This document outlines a proposed Inkscape Hackfest, to be hosted in Leeds, UK directly prior to the 2016 Libre Graphics Meeting (LGM). The Test People[1] (TTP) will host and sponsor the event by providing a meeting venue and consultation. The following sections describe a proposed outline of the event itself, practicalities for delegates and a tentative cost analysis. Event outline Theme The 2015 Toronto Hackfest provided an excellent opportunity for Inkscape developers to meet in person, to discuss the project and to work collaboratively on bug-fixing and feature development. A number of important decisions were made about the future directions of the project, and accessibility. For the 2016 Hackfest, a theme of “user experience and testing” is proposed, which will provide a focus for collaborative development, and enhance the interaction with our hosts at The Test People.
The Test People Limited (TTP) is an innovative testing solutions and consulting firm providing Performance Engineering, Automation, Test Strategy and Managed Test Services.
TTP hope to take advantage of the Hackfest to provide training opportunities to some of their staff, without intruding too much on the hacking. This will likely take the form of voluntary breakout sessions over the course of the Hackfest, and may include free testing and consultancy. More details to come! Dates The proposed dates[a][b] are Monday 11 to Thurs 14 April, 2016. This will include a half-day social event and the final day will be a half-day session to allow easy travel to London for the LGM. The venue will be available from 0900-1700 on each of the full-day sessions.
Agenda Monday 11 April 2016 * Coffee/refreshments * 20-min welcome presentation (TTP) * 20-min welcome introduction (Inkscape devs) * 30-min personal introductions (all delegates - nothing too formal!) * 1-hour overview of the Inkscape codebase (Inkscape devs) * 30-min introduction to Testing (TTP)[c] (tbc) * 30-min Session planning * Afternoon: Start the hacking! This will include test development, UX improvements and documentation Tuesday 12 April 2016 * A full day of hacking! Wednesday 13 April 2016 * Morning: further development session * Afternoon: social excursion Thursday 14 April 2016 * A short hacking session * Final session: 1 hour summarizing the achievements of the Hackfest, and future directions. This will form the basis of future press releases. * 1300: Hackfest closes Meeting venue A training room in central Leeds will be provided free of charge by TTP. This will accommodate up to 20 delegates, with 5 seats being reserved for delegates from TTP. A desk with mains power (3-pin UK plug, 230 V) is provided for each delegate. Free Guest WiFi access will be provided.
Two whiteboard walls, a flipchart and an HD projector (VGA/HDMI) are provided.
The venue also includes washroom facilities and a kitchen which can be used for light refreshments. ________________ Social programme A half-day session has been allocated for a social excursion, which will provide a rest-break from intense hacking and an opportunity for general discussion about the project and wider topics. There are a range of low-cost activities available within a ~1-hour travel radius, including: * The ancient city of York (http://www.visityork.org/) * UNESCO World Heritage village at Saltaire (http://www.saltairevillage.info/) * Hiking in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/) * Yorkshire Sculpture Park/Hepworth gallery (http://www.ysp.co.uk/) * National Media Museum (http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/) Practicalities Note that all costs are estimates and reservations should be made ~2 months in advance to ensure the best prices. Location Leeds is a major city in Yorkshire, in the North of England (http://www.visitleeds.co.uk/). It is situated close to the ancient city of York, and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is located approximately 175 miles from London, and 40 miles from Manchester, which both have large international airports.
The Hackfest venue is in the pedestrianised city centre of Leeds, and is approximately 10-minutes walk from the rail and bus stations. Transport to Leeds * Leeds–Bradford airport has direct flights from ~60 European airports: http://www.justtheflight.co.uk/cheap-flights-from-LBA/ * Connecting flights are available to/from outside Europe via Amsterdam Schipol and London Heathrow * Alternatively, the closest major international airports in the UK are Manchester and London Heathrow * Transport from Manchester Airport to Leeds: (~$30, 50 min; ~$10 if booked several weeks in advance [1]) * Transport from London: Flight to Heathrow in London means the Piccadilly line (£8/45 mins) to Kings Cross and a train ride to Leeds ($150/2 hour or ~$50 if booked several weeks in advance) * Paris/Leeds via train: $70 one way, 5 hours, booked far in advance.
The cheapest, least stressful transport option for Hackfest delegates may be to fly in/out of Leeds-Bradford (via London Heathrow or Amsterdam Schipol) or Manchester, rather than flying to London. Train tickets should be booked from Leeds to London at least a month in advance to get a good deal (~70% saving on cost), and note that it may be much cheaper to buy two one-way (“single”) tickets rather than a return ticket. Transport within Leeds The city centre is compact, and can be traversed on foot in approximately 20 minutes.
Taxi services (including Uber) are readily available between the Hackfest venue and nearby accommodation for $10 for a 10-minute journey. A day-ticket for local buses will cost approximately $8. Accommodation Indicative costs as follows: * AirBnB accommodation (entire property) in city centre: $80 pppn * Ibis budget hotel room, Leeds city centre: from $60 pppn
Cheaper accommodation may also be available in the suburbs of Leeds. Food Leeds is host to numerous restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets. Typical costs * Burger/Sandwich, snack + soft drink: $8 * Low-cost restaurant meal (e.g., 1-course noodles/curry/pizza + soft drink): $20 * Medium-cost restaurant (e.g., 2-course Spanish/Greek/US + alcoholic drink): $50 Social event Indicative prices: * Train travel to York: $20 * Train travel to Bradford/Ilkley (Media Museum/Saltaire/Yorkshire Dales): ~$8 * Access to Media Museum/Saltaire/Yorkshire Dales is free of charge * Access to main museums in York: ~$20-30 Financial summary of sponsorship[d][e] ________________ [1] The Test People has recently merged with another testing consultancy, Centre4 Testing, so by the time of the Hackfest the combined organisation will have a new name. [a]Peter: Forgot to ask about office hours… would the room be available 9-5 or longer hours? [b]9 - 5 I can guarantee, longer may be a possibility depending on who is around. [c]Peter: Feel free to adjust! [d]Peter: If you’re able to add notional costs for the room, consultation etc, that would be useful. [e]Can’t do this today, sorry
