With UDS just around the corner I thought it a good time to remind you all that even though you may not be physically attending UDS your contributions, comments and participation is needed and encouraged.

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM SESSIONS

1- Register your attendance for remote participation

2- Have a look at the time table – handy to know in advance what is going on each day and what sessions you may want to attend.

3- Join the channel that the room is set up for, remember each room will hold a different track and session throughout the week.

• #ubuntu-uds-Grand-Sierra
• #ubuntu-uds-Antigua1
• #ubuntu-uds-Antigua2
• #ubuntu-uds-Antigua3
• #ubuntu-uds-Antigua4
• #ubuntu-uds-Bonaire1
• #ubuntu-uds-Bonaire2
• #ubuntu-uds-Bonaire4
• #ubuntu-uds-Bonaire5
• #ubuntu-uds-Bonaire6
• #ubuntu-uds-Bonaire7
• #ubuntu-uds-Bonaire8
• #ubuntu-uds-Curacao1+2
• #ubuntu-uds-Curacao3+4

4- When participating in the session, remember it is streamed if you cannot hear us talking say so on IRC, keep telling us to speak up or say who is talking so you are involved in
the session.

5- If you want to get your point heard and you feel it’s not being noticed, remember we will be in a room with laptops and chatting just keep poking someone and your point will be read aloud or pointed to on screen. Please be patient also, as discussions will take place do not flood the channels with the same comment over and over.

6- Don’t forget even if you are not there, you can still take on tasks when we look for people to help with things.

7- We take breaks when attending, getting up stretching legs and getting fresh air, please remember to take breaks also! Make yourself comfortable, sometimes wearing a set of earphones when it’s streaming gives better clarity.

8- A stream of all Ubuntu and UDS posts made to Identi.ca, Twitter,(#uds) and Flickr can be found on the livestream or if you just want to follow a certain track here is a list of them

* @udscommunity

* @udskernel

* @udsqa

* @udsfoundations

* @udsmobile

* @udsdesktop

* @udsserver

9- Gobby is used at UDS to collaborate on the specifications that are being written and to facilitate remote participation.

To take part, please install Gobby (available in universe) and tell it to connect to gobby.ubuntu.com. You will be presented with a list of documents being edited. During any session or meeting, and
particularly at the end of one, please do make a local backup of your documents. *WARNING:* There is a new gobby in karmic, gobby-infinote, we will NOT be using this at UDS since we need for people on older releases to participate. Ensure you are using the “gobby� package.

Finally, to take part I’d suggest a few things, have the channels joined before hand, a browser open with the timetable on it and remember each Room will have a different track topic in it at different times. If you have the icecast running, perhaps wear a set of headphones so you can hear better without distractions. If you’re in a channel and someone is talking and they are faint do write on the channel asking them to *SPEAK UP YOU CANNOT HEAR THEM*! you won’t be the only one!

If you make a comment on IRC and you want it to be conveyed to the people in the room, tell someone, perhaps make it *bold* so it stands out if it’s a busy discussion. But do poke again if it was missed and
you want it conveyed.

Use gobby, and take part, you are a part of the community also, you’re comments are needed to help shape Narwhal. Save the document afterwards locally if you like so you have a reference for it, this is just handy so you can reference the work throughout the cycle