cross-posted from: https://blendit.bsd.cafe/post/169687

🎊 Happy Birthday, BSD Cafe! 🎂

It’s been exactly one year since I decided to announce my idea to the world: the BSD Cafe.

The name was chosen in December 2022, but the project had been in my mind for quite some time. I envisioned a virtual space of serenity, well-being, constructiveness, and inclusivity. A place where we are all FOR something (the BSDs, exchanging ideas, growth, community, mutual support), not AGAINST something – a sentiment far too common in today’s polarized world.

And on 20 July 2023, almost impulsively, I launched the project, migrating my account from my previous private Mastodon instance and announcing it on Mastodon and Twitter.

I never imagined what would happen next.

The reception was incredible – many people joined, numerous registrations, and a lot of encouragement. The BSD Cafe has become a wonderful virtual place. Every time I open Mastodon (I use the PWA on my phone, not an app), or Element, or one of the BSD Cafe tools, I think of something good, constructive, and beautiful.

The BSD community is fantastic – people who are mentally and technologically mature and balanced, eager to exchange ideas and opinions, ready to teach and learn something new every day. Minds thirsty for knowledge.

I believe we have an extraordinary passion and that open source allows us to do everything without significant financial outlays. And this, in my opinion, is truly democratic and revolutionary in this stark world.

My contribution aims to be precisely this: a place where all patrons, BSD users or not, can feel relaxed and fulfilled. There’s a table for everyone at the BSD Cafe, and many friends ready to spend quality time together.

After exactly one year, I can draw some conclusions. Managing the BSD Cafe has not been complex. Users are always ready to advise and test, and their behaviour is generally very good. Occasionally, I receive some reports – some exaggerated, others I try to understand and resolve. In a year, I had to, reluctantly, remove only two users. One in the very early days: they had an exclusively negative attitude – even against me – and we risked being defederated by many instances I care about. Fortunately, the admin friends at BSD.network gave me an overview, and I understood the situation well. The second user I had to remove was…a bot. So I feel at peace with my conscience.

Throughout this year, many friends have joined, and now the BSD Cafe hosts many people and projects. The Mastodon instance, Matrix, Brew (git), the RSS readers and other services are fully active and used daily by hundreds of users. The BSD Pub Meeting, managed by @gyptazy@gyptazy.ch and now part of the BSD Cafe menu, has also allowed us to talk and see each other in a relaxed context. Like friends at the Pub. Like friends in a Cafe.

So, happy birthday, BSD Cafe!

Happy birthday to users, friends, and supporters. I hope the BSD Cafe has brought even a fraction of the joy, well-being, and positivity to you all that it has brought to me in this past year. And all this is thanks to you all because a Cafe without people is a sad and lonely place.

Here is a link to the original project announcement, exactly one year ago: https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/@stefano/110746126447161217