It's magic because it is a place where I get to meet friends I have known for
years, and we all arrive with the strong urge to learn from each other to be a
better human in tech, in an open-space setting where everybody can be a teacher,
and a student—at the same time.

This is so entirely different compare to regular conferences, because nobody is
put on a stage. There is no stage, no list of speakers. We are all equals and
those with many years of experience working in our industry know not to use
experience as an excuse to not listen.

But this is not really news and upon reflecting I think I witnessed a very
important change for the first time. This year I noticed that session related to
diversity were proposed by members of underprivileged groups.

It happened with a level of naturalness which made it evident that SoCraTes has
become a safe-space for everyone. Big Kudos to the organizers who have been
pushing to be more inclusive for many years now.

I cannot stress enough how important this is for me, to be invited to join a
session where women shared their experience with sexual harassment. It provides
a view to what I need to look out for, in my own behavior and this of my
coworkers which I would not otherwise.

/status/1033960647158050818

I invite you to join our community and make it even more diverse:
https://www.softwarecrafters.org/

Blog post: https://coderbyheart.com/socrates-2018/ Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tacker/sets/72157697649009872