And just when you thought it was safe......HOSSTRADERS!

[Jon maddog Hall]

[Those of you who are familiar with HOSSTRADERS can just skip to the organizing
stuff at the bottom]
 
Yes, once again it is time for that fun-filled event called "HOSSTRADERS"!
Where you get to take all of your useless junk^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H
treasured antique computers and peripherals and find some sucker^H^H^H^H^H^H
person who will treasure them as much as you used to.

We also (as a sideline) talk to people about Free and Open Source Software
and how it can be used on low-cost, "broken in" equipment, as well as modern-day
up-to-date equipment.

Hosstraders is mostly a Ham Radio swap meet, but it has a lot of computer
"stuff", particularly older, hard-to-find things for those of you who need
cables, cheap floppy drives, etc.  Last year I found mid-end pentium machines
that had 64 Megs of RAM, a 10GB disk with Linux installed for only $25. each.

Each year Hosstraders gets better and better.  We now have a banner that is
in full color, business cards that are easily made, versions of Knoppix that
are geared towards ham radio operators, and a growing group of fans that
welcome us back every year (instead of saying "who the heck are they"?)

It even gets easier to tell you where to go (no, I did not mean it like that...)
as we now have maps of how to get to the Hopkinton Fair Grounds as well as
a name and number for "our" building, the Cressey Exhibit Hall, building #17
on the map:

http://www.hsfair.org/generalinfo.htm

As I said, Hosstraders is run by three self-described "old buzzards" who have
been doing this for thirty years, contributing the proceeds to the Shriners
Burn and Children's Hospitals.  They can tell you about the best way to
get there and "rules of engagement" at:

http://www.qsl.net/k1rqg/

Note that admittance to Hosstraders is not gratis.  The times and fee
structure remain the same for the Spring event, as in the past:
Gates are open at 9 AM on Friday through the night till end of event on
Saturday.

Fees are the same as in the past:

$10 per seller's space no matter what time
Friday 9 AM to 3 PM $10 per person
After 3 PM on Friday, $5 per person

THERE IS A $10 FEE FOR CAMPING ON FRIDAY NIGHT

Yes, you can camp there on Friday night, and a lot of people do.  There
is a large area to put your RV, Tent trailer or tent, and it only costs $10.
to do so.

There are plenty of "carnie-style" food places on the fairgrounds with
bowls of greasy fries and hot Italian sausage sandwhiches as well as
some places that serve fairly decent food sponsored by churches and other
non-profits.

Be there, or be square!

maddog
============================boring organizing stuff=============================
So if you have read this far you are probably interested and I could (as
always) use a couple of warm bodies and a couple of demo systems to show off
Linux.

I will bring extention cords, power strips, an LCD projector and my laptop
and a couple of chairs.  I will also try to get the banner from Bruce (if
he has it).

I will have paid the space fee and table fee as normal, and will TRY to arrive
at 0900 in the morning to be there when others arrive.  Each year I get better
at it, and this year I will try not to forget my tent and sleeping bag.

So, who is going to show up?  Ben?  Bill? Ed? Rob? Mike?  You know who you
are....

-- 
Jon "maddog" Hall
Executive Director           Linux International(R)
email: maddog at li.org         80 Amherst St. 
Voice: +1.603.672.4557       Amherst, N.H. 03031-3032 U.S.A.
WWW: http://www.li.org

Board Member: Uniforum Association, USENIX Association

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