Finish porting all news posts

assets/scss/custom.scss

@@ -104,3 +104,10 @@
     background-color: #fff3cd;
     color: #856404;
 }
+
+// Disable the horrendous open and close quotes on blockquote content
+blockquote p:first-of-type {
+    &::before, &::after {
+        content: "" !important;
+    }
+}

config/_default/params.toml

@@ -62,10 +62,9 @@ content = "Handmade Seattle Nov 20th - 22nd, 2024. [Buy Tickets](/tickets) now!"
 # seo meta data for OpenGraph / Twitter Card
 # seo module: https://github.com/gethugothemes/hugo-modules/tree/master/seo-tools/basic-seo
 [metadata]
-keywords = ["Boilerplate", "Hugo"]
-description = "Hugo & Tailwindcss Starter"
-author = "zeon.studio"
-image = "images/og-image.png"
+keywords = ["Conference", "Handmade", "Software", "Programming", "Low-Level"]
+description = "Handmade Cities - Indie Conferences for Low-Level Programmers"
+image = "images/opengraph.png"
 
 
 # site verifications

content/english/_index.md

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ banner:
     icon: "fa fa-ticket pl-2"
     class: "btn text-white seattle-bg"
   button2:
-    enable: true
+    enable: false
     label: "Twitch"
     link: "https://twitch.tv/abnercoimbre"
     icon: "fab fa-twitch pl-2"
@@ -94,24 +94,26 @@ features:
     side: "center"
     bg_img: 
       parallax: true
-      img: "/images/devon_starfield.png"
+      img: "/images/net.jpg"
     transition:
-      start: "/images/transition.svg"
-      start_class: "mb-5 transform"
+      start: "/images/transition2.svg"
+      start_class: "mb-5 mt-12 transform"
+      start_style: "mask-repeat: repeat-x;mask-position:top;"
       start_color: "#fff"
-      start_dark: "/images/transition2.svg"
+      start_dark: "/images/transition.svg"
       start_dark_color: "#150e31"
-      end: "/images/transition.svg"
-      end_class: "mt-20 transform -scale-y-100 -scale-x-100"
+      end: "/images/transition3.svg"
+      end_class: "mt-20 transform -scale-x-100 -pb-1"
       end_color: "#fff"
-      end_dark: "/images/transition2.svg"
+      end_dark: "/images/transition3.svg"
+      end_style: "mask-size:cover;mask-position:bottom;height:165px;"
       end_dark_color: "#150e31"
     bg_color: "#0a0a0a"
     content: "The Handmade Network is your online community and go-to hub when there's no in-person events. Participate in jams, be awed by software projects and enjoy a huge Discord community."
-    content_class: "text-white mt-12 px-12 pb-12 pt-24 bg-[rgba(0,0,0,0.5)] rounded-lg"
+    content_class: "text-white mt-12 px-12 py-8 bg-[rgba(0,0,0,0.85)] rounded-lg !col-9"
     button:
       enable: enable
-      class: "meetups-bg dark:meetups-bg"
+      class: "bg-white dark:bg-white text-black"
       label: "Network"
       link: "https://handmade.network"
 

content/english/meetups/atlanta.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Atlanta's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the city in a forest!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/atlanta"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Daniel Hooper"
+bio="daniel@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/australia.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Australia's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the country of boundless adventures!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/australia"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Khrob Edmonds"
+bio="khrob@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/boston.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Boston's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the Hub of the Universe!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/boston"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Caden Parker"
+bio="caden@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/cambridge.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Cambridge's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the Silicon Fen!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/cambridge"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Josh"
+bio="josh@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/dc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="D.C. Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the capital of the USA!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/dc"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Felix Ulmanu"
+bio="felix@handmadeciies.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/detroit.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Detroit's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the Motor City!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/detroit"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Seth Archambault"
+bio="seth@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/gothenburg.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Gothenburg's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the second-largest city in Sweden!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/gothenburg"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Sam Smith"
+bio="sam@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/grenoble.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Grenoble's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the Capital of the Alps!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/grenoble"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Martin Fouilleul"
+bio="martin@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/israel.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Israeli Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from Israel!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/israel"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Noam Weisberg"
+bio="eternalstudent@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/london.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="London's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the largest city in the UK!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/london"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Jack Punter"
+bio="jack@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/nyc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="New York City's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the city that never sleeps!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/new_york_city"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Mark Mendell"
+bio="mark@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/portland.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Portland's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the City of Roses!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/portland"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Sid"
+bio="sid@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/sf.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="San Francisco's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the city by the bay!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/san_francisco"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Xander Rudelis"
+bio="xander@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/termina.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Termina's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the land of legend!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/termina"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Skull Kid"
+bio="majora@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### THIS IS A TEST CITY
+
+SUBSCRIBE AT YOUR OWN RISK

content/english/meetups/tokyo.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Tokyo's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the capital of Japan!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/tokyo"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Moai-san"
+bio="moai@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/vancouver.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Vancouver's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the warmest city in Canada!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/vancouver"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Matt Currie"
+bio="matt@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/vegas.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Vegas Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the Entertainment Capital of the World!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/vegas"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Jon Stevens"
+bio="jstevens@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/meetups/vienna.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
++++
+title="Vienna's Mailing List"
+date="2024-11-03T12:00:00-08:00"
+description="Receive Handmade meetup invites from the capital of Austria!"
+api_endpoint="https://api.handmadecities.com/v1/meetups/vienna"
+
+[[hosts]]
+name="Patrick Jakobsen"
+bio="patrick@handmadecities.com"
+image=""
++++
+
+#### Optional Discord Server
+
+The mailing list is how you get official invites, but you may join the Discord for extra updates or to chat with the meetup group.

content/english/news/a-breakdown-of-my-indie-life.md

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+title: "A Breakdown of My Indie Life"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "Allen Webster, creator of 4coder and programmer at Epic Games, digs deep into Abner Coimbre's life as an indie organizer."
+date: 2023-04-17T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/breakdown_of_an_indie_life.webp"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /a-breakdown-of-my-indie-life
+---
+
+
+#### Allen Digs Into My Affairs
+
+[Allen Webster](https://mr4th.com/), creator of 4coder and systems programmer at RAD (now part of Epic Games), interviewed me in earnest about my life as an indie organizer—where I must confess I’ve never opened up like this before.
+
+Have you ever asked yourself, while attending one of our conferences:
+
+* What does Abner do as a full-time organizer?
+* What does it actually _look like_, day in and day out?
+* Why the obsession with being sponsor-free?
+* Aren’t there good tech companies that can help him grow the conferences even faster?
+
+If you’ve wondered along these lines before then this video should hopefully prove fun and enlightening. You’ll learn about my strange (but, in my view, necessary) career path that’s been a bit of a black box until now.
+
+![](/images/news/breakdown_of_an_indie_life.webp)
+
+
+#### Follow Along More Conversations
+
+This is the first in a series of important discussions Allen is having with industry figures. He’s zooming in on angles most us programmers tend to miss and tries to understand what people are doing in a broader sense. I think it’s a very worthwhile and interesting project! (Fun fact: the awesome visualizer you see in the video was programmed by Allen himself. [Over a weekend jam.](https://handmade.network/jam))
+
+Join Allen’s [newsletter](https://newsletter.mr4th.com/) to know when his next conversation gets published.
+
+
+#### Post-Interview Notes
+
+Nearing the end of my conversation with Allen I accidentally imply you must go through the first 25 to 30 episodes of [Handmade Hero](https://guide.handmadehero.org/) in order to attend [Handmade Boston](https://handmadecities.com/boston). **Please note you’re not actually required to go through all the episodes.** (All the power to you if you decide to though!) This is just a rule of thumb to convey the real expectations:
+
+1. That you’re already comfortable with the kind of programming shown in Handmade hero.
+
+2. Alternatively, that you’ve written some substantial application or game in a systems language like C.
+
+And you should be good to go.

content/english/news/almost-gone-spring-sale-2023.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+title: "Almost Gone: Spring Sale 2023"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "Our Spring Sale for the Handmade conferences is coming to a close on April 30th. Thanks to popular demand we've extended the deadline to accomodat..."
+date: 2023-04-25T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/clock-2015460_1280.jpg"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /almost-gone-spring-sale-2023
+---
+
+
+#### Dear Handmade Folks,
+
+Our Spring Sale for the Handmade conferences is coming to a close on April 30th. Thanks to popular demand we’ve extended the deadline to accommodate more of our community, especially students.
+
+Get ready for what should be a remarkable year! We’re shipping conferences on both the west and east coast: exclusive masterclasses in Boston this summer, and brand new talks in Seattle this fall (featuring an expanded job fair and tradeshow). Secure your spot at the best price by registering now:
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://handmadecities.com/tickets" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">Early Bird</a>
+</div>
+
+
+#### The Making of an Indie Organizer
+
+Handmade is currently a niche interest, championing low-level understanding and quality in a world that elevates the production of McSoftware – the digital manifestation of chowing down on Big Macs.
+
+Within this niche my career occupies a distinct corner: orchestrating indie conferences to further our shared values. If you’ve ever wondered about the daily ins and outs of such a position, my friend Allen Webster interviewed me to offer a glimpse:
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqZ6QbKzgW4" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">YouTube Interview</a>
+</div>
+
+
+#### Handmade Jams
+
+While it’s not true that the online community ([Handmade Network](https://discord.gg/hmn)) creates delicious strawberry jams (though I think it would be fantastic marketing), they do host cool jam events for programmers. Very often we pick the best entries to be featured at a conference
+
+With the completion of the [Visibility Jam](https://handmade.network/jam/visibility-2023/recap) I encourage you to explore the recap and maybe even join the [upcoming initiative](https://handmade.network/blog/p/8690-three_big_initiatives_for_2023) called _Time Machine: reminding ourselves how things used to be._
+
+
+#### Stay Tuned: New Batch of Speakers
+
+We’ve been quietly (but intensely) seeking new instructors for Handmade Boston and reviewing proposals for Handmade Seattle. Keep an eye out for our new lineup reveal next month!
+
+##### A Note on Instructor, Speaker & Demo Proposals
+
+For those who have reached out for instructor, speaker, or demo opportunities, please bear with me if you haven’t received a response yet. I’ve been recovering from the flu but I’m catching up this week. You can always reply to this email if you have any questions.
+
+See you soon,
+
+Abner

content/english/news/anniversary-rebrand-2024.md

@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+---
+title: "Anniversary Rebrand"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "Faster website, new logos, new chat server, and Handmade Seattle 2024"
+date: 2024-10-20T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/seattle-2024-1080x675.jpg"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /anniversary-rebrand-2024
+---
+
+
+#### Dear Handmade Friends,
+
+Notice the new logo? There’s more to share about our rebrand below.
+
+![](/images/news/cities-withpc-light-mode-row.png)
+
+However, let’s discuss the conference next month first.
+
+##### Handmade Seattle 2024: Anniversary Edition 🌟
+
+We’re a little over a month away from Handmade Seattle, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Handmade movement. Thanks to everyone who’s shown interest to participate!
+
+If you haven’t heard from me or my staff yet, you should get a response by ~~Monday~~ Tuesday. Worst case, send me a ping on Discord (**@abnercoimbre**) in case ~~Monday~~ Tuesday passed by and you still didn’t hear from us.
+
+It’s never ideal for us to take a long time responding to all emails and submissions. Please forgive us.
+
+
+#### Twitch marathon for ticket sales
+
+This ~~Monday, October 21st~~ Tuesday, October 22nd. I’ll kick off a multi-week Twitch stream running through November 1st. It’ll be my side-project Terminal Click while keeping an eye on how conference registrations are going.
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://twitch.tv/abnercoimbre" class="btn bg-purple-700 dark:bg-purple-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-purple-800 text-white"><i class="fab fa-twitch"></i> Twitch</a>
+</div>
+
+Loris Cro offered to help me port my terminal site from Hugo to [Zine](https://zine-ssg.io/). If he’s around I’ll collab with him during one of the streams!
+
+---
+
+#### Full website rewrite ⚡
+
+[handmadecities.com](http://handmadecities.com/) is getting a much-needed upgrade too. This self-hosted WordPress site is slow and clunky—not great for a community that’s all about software quality!
+
+Thanks to staff member Devon along with the Handmade Network [team](https://handmade.network/about), I’m switching to a static site that’s lightning-fast by comparison. I won’t promise an exact release date, though it’ll ship well ahead of the conference.
+
+As part of this overhaul [Jes Chuhta](https://vimeo.com/887532756/2972a82e55) also designed amazing new logos. You saw the Cities one at the top. We also have a version for Handmade [Meetups](https://handmadecities.com/meetups):
+
+![](/images/news/meetups-light-mode-fixed.png)
+
+The conferences gets fresh logos too: one for Handmade Boston and Handmade Seattle. Dude there’s even a cute favicon! She did incredible work, so keep an eye out for all of them soon.
+
+_Note: With everything going on with WordPress [lately](https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/4/24262232/matt-mullenweg-wordpress-org-wp-engine), it was a good time to ditch it and build our own site anyway. Ben Visness will cover the drama in a Handmade Network newsletter soon—be sure to [subscribe](https://handmade.network/newsletter) there!_
+
+---
+
+#### From Vimeo to YouTube
+
+By popular demand, from both my staff and the audience, I’m mirroring our Vimeo catalog to YouTube. As a matter of principle I’m keeping monetization off and will always point people to [handmadecities.com](http://handmadecities.com/) to support us directly.
+
+You’ll get updates through the [newsletter](https://handmadecities.com/news) when the uploads begin.
+
+---
+
+#### Revolt replaces Matrix 🥳
+
+I’ve switched our chat server from Matrix to Revolt. Complaints against Matrix kept mounting every year, and after a lot of feedback (and some near ticket-holder boycotts), Revolt is now self-hosted live at [chat.handmadecities.com](http://chat.handmadecities.com/). It’s not as feature-rich as Discord yet, but it works really well for short-term events like Handmade Seattle:
+
+![](/images/news/hmc_revolt_screenshot.png)
+
+Revolt is our private chat server for conferences: where ticket holders join live Q&As and official discussions. During the off-season we use our [public](https://handmadecities.com/discord) Discord instead.
+
+_Note: Read more about my decision to drop Matrix (and their CEO’s reaction) in [this](https://handmadecities.com/new-discord-server/) blog post._
+
+_Note note: Jamie Brandon of [HYTRADBOI](https://hytradboi.com/) fame dropped Matrix too. He’s trying Zulip instead, so we both challenged each other to write post-mortems after each conference!_
+
+---
+
+#### Speaker lineup coming soon ⏳
+
+We’re aiming to have most of the Handmade Seattle speaker [lineup](https://handmadecities.com/seattle) ready by November 1st (the last day of my Twitch marathon.) It’s been tough locking in speakers due to the current economic climate, but like Boston, we’ll deliver great talks and demos even if the final list comes in late.
+
+---
+
+#### Slimming down the conference
+
+Conferences, big and small, have been shutting down since COVID and this year saw even more go under. Deconstruct, O’Reilly, E3, Strangeloop, XOXO and bang bang con, to name but a few.
+
+Like so many, I’m really feeling the squeeze this year. 2024 is a survival year, and we’re making some cuts:
+
+* **No hotel assistance:** We tried, but the terms I’d have to sign to secure mass discounts are too financially risky. Our Discord server is your best bet for advice on where to stay in Seattle for cheap.
+* **No free merch this time:** We’ll be selling shirts if we can. However, if you registered for both Boston and Seattle, send proof and the merch is yours. (Physical tickets only.)
+* **No in-person trade show:** Seattle Center’s new booth fees make it prohibitive, so we’re going virtual for the trade show and job fair (using Revolt.)
+
+We still convene at the Seattle Center as always, at the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall:
+
+![](/images/news/lecture_hall.jpg)
+
+**The talks and demos on stage are happening here.** And we’ll still have group lunches, dinners, and official hangouts.
+
+---
+
+#### Register ASAP 🎫
+
+It’s frankly such a delightful miracle that we’re alive and kicking. The community likes to joke that we’re playing Last Con Standing.
+
+[Tickets](https://handmadecities.com/tickets) and [donations](https://handmadecities.com/member) need to pick up a bit to keep Handmade Cities going, hence the Twitch marathon next week. If you’re thinking about attending, please consider registering early—even if the lineup isn’t finalized just yet.
+
+---
+
+#### Handmade Cities and what the future holds
+
+Once we make it through this year, **I see a new business model for conferences emerging:** community-driven, 100% indie, and making juuust enough profit to cover the basics—rent, groceries, healthcare, and the occasional night out. That’s it. I’ll never get rich doing this, and that’s fine. In fact, I think the big, sponsor-heavy conferences are fading out, while indie events like HYTRADBOI are making a comeback (they were [inspired](https://www.scattered-thoughts.net/writing/why-start-a-new-database-conference#funding) by Handmade Seattle.)
+
+So how am I still here? The people supporting Handmade Cities point to one thing: _community_.
+
+![](/images/news/hms_hangout.jpg)
+
+When we’re not running tech conferences, Handmade Cities is quietly growing monthly **meetups** around the world. Handmade [Australians](https://handmadecities.com/meetups/australia) met for the first time this month. We’ve just added [Vienna](https://handmadecities.com/meetups/vienna) and [Tokyo](https://handmadecities.com/meetups/tokyo), and in Seattle my technical producer Phil pioneered **co-working** sessions, which are now a community staple: they happen every other week. I also started weekly **hangouts** on Sundays—a third place where people gather and do whatever they want; new friendships and a couple of job offers have already come out of them! (Although job networking isn’t the goal.)
+
+At these meetups I’ve met founding engineers from multiple high-profile startups who are burned out by the impact their companies have on society—whether it’s software quality degrading, endless mass layoffs or immoral business practices. They’re starting to come to us. These reliable, growing interactions among very competent programmers who care are sparking… _something_.
+
+![](/images/news/boston-scaled.jpg)
+
+Handmade Cities, not accountable to any company or investor, will galvanize this energy after I’ve muscled my way through 2024.
+
+See you on Twitch,<br>
+Abner
+
+Your indie organizer

content/english/news/attend-handmade-boston-get-a-new-terminal.md

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+---
+title: "Attend Handmade Boston, Get a New Terminal"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "Abner announces the imminent release of a brand new desktop terminal, yours to use when you attend Handmade Boston."
+date: 2023-07-04T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/terminal_click_home-980x526.png"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /attend-handmade-boston-get-a-new-terminal
+---
+
+
+#### Dear Handmade Folks,
+
+We’re one month away from Handmade’s début in the east coast: August _3-4th_! Both the speakers and myself are preparing to give you an incredible first conference at Boston. I’ve also been cooking up something extra, quietly and in earnest…
+
+Terminal Click is a brand new desktop terminal. It’s my take on how terminal emulators are supposed to serve you going forward, and represents my first Handmade software release to a general public.
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://terminal.click/" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">Terminal Click</a>
+</div>
+
+**How soon can you get your hands on it? If you attend [Handmade Boston](https://handmadecities.com/boston) this August, whether in-person or online, you’re getting a copy that very month.** A closed beta is precisely what I need to suss out bugs and understand which current features are the most useful (and which ones need refining.) Our events are popular so slots are limited!
+
+This personal project has been evolving in the background for several years, and I am pumped to finally share this with you. My life may be consumed with organizing indie conferences, but I remain a programmer at heart.
+
+
+#### Reminder: Early Bird Extension🎫
+
+Just a friendly reminder that the early bird ticket sale has been extended indefinitely this year. I’ve taken this step in response to the surge of discount requests and financial assistance (given the climate of mass layoffs and economic uncertainty.
+
+It’s pretty dicey for a conference to not raise ticket prices over time, because people might just wait until the last minute to buy one! However, I’m banking on those who can afford to register early will decide to do so. That way, those who need the most time will be able to get this reprieve.
+
+I appreciate anyone who’s able to join us early!
+
+
+#### Schedule Breakdown
+
+The Handmade Boston website shows all of our speakers but we still haven’t explained the physical and online track split, the exact order of the masterclasses, and other logistical details of that nature.
+
+Before the week expires this information will be published.
+
+
+#### Your Handmade Boston Journey ✈
+
+I’ve received requests to recommend hotels and other tips for traveling. I intend on adding this information to our website too, but there are attendees already sharing cool suggestions on the Handmade Discord.
+ 
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://discord.gg/hmn" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">Discord</a>
+</div>
+
+This can be found specifically in the “meetups” channel. Visit the server and scroll up slightly little to see.
+
+
+#### Handmade Seattle Up Next
+
+In the same way Terminal Click was silently taking shape off-screen, Handmade Seattle 2023 announcements are right. Around. The corner.
+
+With this conference, I am expanding the scale and scope to cater to the growing popularity of the event. I can finally afford to take some interesting risks for you to experience (and hopefully create lasting memories.)
+
+Forgive me for keeping things vague, for now. Expect news and updates shortly—especially after the masterclasses in Boston have wrapped up!
+
+
+#### Closing Notes: Abner’s Email Backlog
+
+As this year unfolds, I find myself myself chipping away at a backlog that never really disappears. There’s a couple of factors contributing here.
+
+* _Volume Problem:_ Since I’m running two indie conferences in a single year, my bandwidth occasionally reaches its limits.
+* _Lack of Delegation:_ As the sole organizer for Handmade Cities, I bear the weight of all responsibilities. This is not going to change, but the need for an administrative assistant has become apparent.
+
+This time around, my solution is to depend on your patience as I work through your messages. On average I respond within a few days, but in rare occasions it may take weeks (unless the conference is imminent. By then my undivided attention shifts exclusively to customer support.)
+
+Looking ahead to future years, I just need to actually hire someone 🙂 If not full-time then certainly in a seasonal capacity. Having trusted staff is the way to expand Handmade Cities further.
+
+Happy Fourth.

content/english/news/beyond-conferences-handmade-cities-all-year-round.md

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+---
+title: "Beyond Conferences: Handmade Cities All Year Round"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "We now have a permanent Matrix server for chat conversations all year round."
+date: 2023-12-20T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/forever-1080x675.jpg"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: ["Abner Coimbre", "Ben Visness"]
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /beyond-conferences-handmade-cities-all-year-round
+---
+
+#### Dear Handmade Community,
+
+Warm holiday greetings! Abner Coimbre and Ben Visness here, teaming up to announce that the Handmade Cities Matrix server will remain online permanently. In past years, it has been shut down at the end of conferences, but now it will remain active year-round!
+
+This might surprise you, since most of you are probably already members of the (now rather large) Handmade Network Discord server. So why keep the Matrix server as well?
+
+The Handmade movement has grown an incredible amount in the past several years. Importantly, it has grown both online _and_ in the real world. Both domains are vital to the health of the larger Handmade community – but there are some critical differences between the two. Let’s dive into it.
+
+
+#### Two communities? Not quite.
+
+The [Handmade Network](https://handmade.network/) (HMN) is the online hub for the Handmade movement. Led by Ben and his team, they run programming jams, Twitch shows, and online social gatherings. They provide a place for community members to discuss programming, learn from each other, and share what they’re working on. The Handmade Network is also the home of [Handmade projects](https://handmade.network/projects), including the Orca initiative and Abner’s own Terminal Click.
+
+In essence, HMN is the _online_ community – and it’s accessible to everyone, including those who prefer to remain anonymous.
+
+[Handmade Cities](https://handmadecities.com/) (HMC) brings the Handmade movement into the physical realm. Headed by Abner and his own staff, HMC orchestrates tech conferences like Handmade Boston and Handmade Seattle, which are venues to present to the rest of the world our software and ideals. HMC also organizes monthly in-person [meetups](https://handmadecities.com/meetups) worldwide.
+
+In essence, Handmade Cities is all about _in-person_ events. HMC emphasizes real-world interactions; by its very nature, those who participate in these events can’t be anonymous!
+
+For several years now, Handmade Cities has used a Matrix server for discussions related to conferences and conference meetups. This server has always complemented the Handmade Network Discord server, rather than competing with it. And that is not going to change!
+
+The HMN Discord remains open to all, while users on the HMC Matrix are tied to real individuals participating in Handmade events: ticket holders, local meetup members, and so on. The Discord is the hub for jams and other online events; the Matrix is the hub for meetups and other in-person events.
+
+
+#### What about Handmade Hero? How’s that going?
+
+At the start of the Handmade movement was [Handmade Hero](https://handmadehero.org/), a Twitch series showing how to craft a video game from scratch. Casey Muratori, president of Molly Rocket, started it in November 2014 and quickly found great success, forming a huge community around its values that has lasted almost a decade.
+
+So, what’s become of our bouncy little friend? Casey’s passions have expanded beyond this project, reflecting [Molly Rocket](https://mollyrocket.com/)‘s commitment to multiple initiatives. We’re not privy to the specifics of Casey’s plans with Handmade Hero, but this year, we collaborated directly with him to shape the opening blurbs for both Handmade Network and Handmade Cities:
+
+
+> **handmade.network**
+>
+> Originally inspired by Casey Muratori’s Handmade Hero, we dig deep into our systems and learn how to do things from scratch. We’re not satisfied by the latest popular language or the framework of the month. Instead we care about how computers **actually work**.
+
+> **handmadecities.com**
+>
+> **Inspired by Handmade Hero**
+>
+> Like Handmade Hero by Molly Rocket we believe in breaking software down to the bare bones and building back an understanding of how it all really works.
+
+While Molly Rocket, Handmade Network, and Handmade Cities share a spirit of mutual support, it’s crucial to emphasize that we exist as separate entities, and are not formally affiliated. You might instead see us as independent stewards of the Handmade movement.
+
+And at the end of the day, that’s the way we like it. We each have our own expertise, our own experiences, our own goals, and ultimately our own businesses. We feel that we’re at our best, and the Handmade movement is at its best, when we are run independently but collaborate at every opportunity.
+
+We look forward to bringing you improved conferences, jams, meetups, shows, and projects in 2024. With our 10-year anniversary fast approaching (!) the future of Handmade shines brighter than ever. 😊
+
+All the best,
+Abner and Ben

content/english/news/boston-schedule-and-updates.md

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+---
+title: "Boston Schedule and Updates"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "The Handmade Boston 2023 schedule and final updates."
+date: 2023-07-31T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/hourglass-2910948_1920-980x653.jpg"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /boston-schedule-and-updates
+---
+
+
+#### Dear Handmade Folks,
+
+The first ever Handmade Boston begins this Thursday!
+
+Whether you attend the physical or online track I hope you have a good time with our instructors, learn something new, and make friends with programmers like yourself: those who care about building quality software.
+
+**Note:** Handmade Boston is an experiment on forming mentor-pupil relationships; the software industry is in dire need of apprenticeships (even if they’re informal.) While I can’t guarantee an instructor will become your mentor after the conference, I’m helping create the fertile grounds for it. You may even discover a fellow audience member, a seasoned expert, who willingly decides to teach you things.
+
+If you’re comfortable in any systems language and are not a complete beginner this conference is for you. We’re here to help you grow if you’re feeling stuck.
+
+_P.S. This conference is a more intimate affair compared to Handmade Seattle. Think of “dozens” instead of “hundreds” in attendance._
+
+
+#### The Schedule 🕰
+
+The [Boston page](https://handmadecities.com/boston) has been updated with the conference schedule for both tracks. Make sure to keep it bookmarked for quick reference.
+
+Unlike Handmade Seattle, the physical track in Boston will not be live-streamed. However, fret not, as I will be recording all the sessions exclusively for ticket holders. You’ll have the privilege of accessing these recordings a number of months before they’re made available to the public.
+
+While the online track awaits these recordings, tune in for a special livestream show featuring our online instructors. Keep an eye out for masterclasses with a Twitch logo, as those are designed specifically for the online track. While this show will be streamed to the public, take-home assignments will remain private just for ticket holders.
+
+
+#### Door Prices 🎫
+
+Yes, tickets can still be purchased on the day of the conference! Rest assured, there will be no increase in prices. I firmly believe in maintaining the early-bird sale indefinitely for 2023. We must assist the financially disadvantaged; it’s been a tough year in tech. 
+
+**We have a sponsoring pool from fans who donated some cash to spare. If you or someone you know needs a discount, or even a free seat, send Abner an email and briefly tell us your story:** abner@handmadecities.com
+
+
+#### Demoscene Masterclass Postponed
+
+Andreas Fredriksson has had to deal with a family illness, preventing him from contributing to Handmade Boston. Naturally, family comes first, and his well-being and that of his family are the priority.
+
+![](/images/news/eon_the_black_lotus_postponed.png)
+
+We apologize for this inconvenience. However, Andreas has graciously agreed to turn his lecture into a Handmade Seattle talk this fall, so I hope you will join us there!
+
+
+#### Mitchell Hashimoto
+
+My friend [Mitchell](https://mitchellh.com/), founder of HashiCorp, has always been a hacker at heart. Mitchell has recently developed a keen interest in Handmade, just like many of you!
+
+We both independently embarked on creating terminal emulators from scratch, looking to innovate in this somewhat barren landscape. During our countless hours of project comparisons we stumbled upon a fun idea: to record a conversation dubbed **The Future of Terminals**. Mitchell and I agree on a bunch of things but disagree on others, so this discussion should prove entertaining and insightful.
+
+![](/images/news/hashiterm.png)
+
+This will be streamed for the online track: we should treat it as bonus content to compensate for the cancellation of the demoscene masterclass.
+
+And don’t forget that by joining Handmade Boston you’ll be enrolled into the closed beta for [Terminal Click](https://terminal.click/) – taking place later this August.
+
+
+#### Private Forums
+
+Forgive me if you’re still waiting on an invite to the private forums. I had promised to send them a week in advance, and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to meet that timeline.
+
+You should still receive an invite ahead of the conference, but we might be coming in clutch! Note that the forums are for:
+
+* Accessing take-home assignments
+* Accessing recordings once they’re available
+* Downloading any files the instructors post during their masterclass
+
+Which means it’s not strictly necessary for you to be in the forums right away. Stay tuned for further updates and your forum invite.
+
+
+#### Discord Chat 💬
+
+Unlike Handmade Seattle, we’re not self-hosting a private chat server. It’s only the private forums. However, the [Handmade Network](https://discord.gg/hmn) has a public channel called **meetups-boston** for anyone looking for things to do around Boston 🙂
+
+If you ping me there and I don’t respond immediately, please be patient! I’m the sole organizer of this conference so my bandwidth will be a bit saturated. (I generally prefer that you email me instead.)
+
+
+#### Closing Notes: Sponsoring Tickets
+
+If an individual wishes to donate to the sponsoring pool, please use our [Donorbox](https://donorbox.org/handmadecities) and in the comments write in “Sponsoring Pool” or similar.
+
+If you mark yourself as an anonymous donor I won’t be reaching out to you. Otherwise, I’m happy to report progress on how your donation helped the cause!
+
+Finally, if you don’t trust me to handle this, you can always buy a seat and use the **transfer** button in the ticket email to gift it to a friend or loved one. For me the best feeling in the world is to run conferences that are independent and powered by individual engineers, not corporations.
+
+Thank you for helping,<br>
+Abner

content/english/news/call-for-submissions-2024.md

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+---
+title: "Call for Submissions"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "Handmade Seattle 2024 is looking for presenters and job booths."
+date: 2024-09-13T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/seattle-2534686_1920-980x497.jpg"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /call-for-submissions-2024
+---
+
+
+#### Dear Handmade Friends,
+
+Thanks for your patience on the Handmade Boston recordings—we’re just about done. Sorry for the delay! Meanwhile, you can still catch the online track on Twitch [VOD](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2219804427) and it’ll be up on the Media page and YouTube afterwards.
+
+
+#### On the hunt for speakers (and more!)
+
+It’s time to ramp up Handmade Seattle 2024, and I’m looking for presenters and job fair participants. We’ve got spots for:
+
+* Talks
+* Demos
+* Fireside chats (informal interviews)
+* Job Booths
+
+![](/images/news/slots.png)
+
+Whether you’re in person or online, there’s room for both. Check out the [Media](https://handmadecities.com/media) and [Job Fair](https://handmadecities.com/jobs) pages for examples.
+
+
+#### How to apply
+
+The beauty of indie conferences is there’s no convoluted process: just send me an [email](mailto:abner@handmadecities.com)! Let me know what you want to present and why you’re the one to do it.
+
+Slots are limited. Either I or [staff](https://handmadecities.com/about) on my behalf should get back to you within 1-3 business days.
+
+##### Wheel Reinvention Jam
+
+Are you joining the Handmade Network [jam](https://handmade.network/jam/wheel-reinvention-2024)? We usually pick a couple of entries for a demo slot at the conference, so it’s a good way to get noticed.
+
+![](/images/news/wheel-reinvention-jam-2024.png)
+
+---
+
+#### This year’s themes: “awakening” and “post-awakening”
+
+2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the Handmade movement. Many in our community talk about the “aha” moments that transformed how they think about programming, kickstarted by the [Manifesto](https://handmade.network/manifesto). So this year, we want talks that dive into the:
+
+* **Awakening:** Did you learn something that felt like a superpower once you grasped it? Share it with us and open our eyes too. A community favorite is Andreas Fredriksson’s [Context is Everything](https://vimeo.com/644068002).
+
+* **Post-Awakening:** What have you done since your own awakening? A great example is Billy Basso’s [presentation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KixgF8Ru1Mw) last month at Handmade Boston, about his journey shipping _Animal Well_ after his own Handmade realizations.
+
+Not every talk needs to fit perfectly into these categories—the lines can get blurred and that’s fine.
+
+---
+
+#### Honest opinions encouraged
+
+You can have raw, controversial takes: bring on the heat. You can criticize any tech company if you believe it’s well-deserved. That’s the whole point of Handmade events (we have no sponsors.) You can be shocking, comedic or use curse words if it serves your point.
+
+Just don’t overindulge please. My motto is spicy but classy.
+
+_Note: You’re allowed to go all in with references to Majora or ChocoVine, my two great loves. (Hope this doesn’t discourage ticket sales..)_
+
+Thanks for reading—I’m excited to see your proposals! Next time, I’ll update you on the [Third Place](https://handmadecities.com/the-third-place/) initiative and other exciting meetup announcements.
+
+Your indie organizer,<br>
+Abner
+
+---
+
+#### FAQ
+
+**Q: I can’t afford a ticket**
+
+A: Shoot me an email and explain your situation. We offer discounts, and some of my [donors](https://handmadecities.com/member) offer free seats for those in need.
+
+**Q: How does the online track work?**
+
+A: Unlike Boston, Handmade Seattle is fully hybrid. The entire event is live-streamed for free, and your online ticket gets you into the private chat for live Q&A.
+
+**Q: Are you using Matrix?**
+
+A: Nope! We’re switching to Revolt, which I hope works better. Read more about the Matrix drama [here](https://handmadecities.com/new-discord-server/).
+
+**Q: I have travel/lodging questions.**
+
+A: Join the Handmade Cities Discord to receive guidance from other ticket holders. If you don’t have Discord you can email me: just be aware that it might take me a few business days to respond.
+
+**Q: Bang Bang Con wrapped up for good. Is Handmade Seattle headed the same way? Going out with a bang or fading away?**
+
+A: Conferences are shutting down everywhere—E3, Deconstruct, Strangeloop, XOXO, and yep, even Bang Bang Con just held their final one last month.
+
+But if there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s pulling off indie conferences since 2019, even when I come through last-minute in tough years like this.
+
+I’m here to stay.

content/english/news/explosive-meetups-kagi-search-and-more.md

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+---
+title: "Meetups, Kagi Search, and More!"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "Record number of Handmade meetups, Kagi's tech lead joins our conference, Ladybird becomes famous, and more."
+date: 2024-07-02T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/ladybird_hms-980x551.png"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /explosive-meetups-kagi-search-and-more
+---
+
+
+#### My dear (sweaty?) Handmade folks,
+
+Hope your summer’s been great! There’s much excitement to unpack. Let’s just dive into it:
+
+##### Explosive Meetup Growth
+
+Last month, we hit a record number of in-person Handmade events: eight of them around the globe. Check them out on our [meetups](https://handmadecities.com/meetups) page.
+
+For the past few weeks, I’ve been talking with Khrob, a rare CTO in Australia who truly gets our values. He’ll be hosting meetups there. We’re still deciding on the exact city, so sign up if you’re interested! If you’re in Australia or planning to visit, [subscribe](https://handmadecities.com/meetups/australia) to those notifications to show your interest.
+
+We’re also gauging interest for Tokyo. If you’re there or plan to visit, please [wishlist](https://handmadecities.com/meetups/wishlist/) Tokyo.
+
+
+#### First Co-working Session
+
+We’re launching public co-working sessions this month in Seattle, led by my technical producer Phil Homan. Subscribe to the Seattle meetup list for updates. We’ll create a dedicated co-working area on the website soon.
+
+Handmade Cities is living up to its name: major conferences, monthly meetups, and now bi-weekly co-working sessions, starting in Seattle (expanding globally once we’ve nailed down a template.)
+
+**Note:** If you’re an indie dev, small business owner, or earning without a traditional employer, I’ve been hosting indie co-working sessions for a while already. Reply to this email if you want to join the private channel.
+
+
+#### Kagi Tech Lead at Handmade Boston
+
+Meet Zac Nowicki, the tech lead behind Kagi Search, a paid alternative to Google that’s gaining a lot of notoriety. Unlike most, [Kagi](https://kagi.com/) builds its own index; I’m also rapidly falling in love with their business ethics.
+
+![](/images/news/kagi_mascot.png)
+
+![](/images/news/kagi_tech_lead.jpg)
+
+It seems their tech is becoming aligned with Handmade values, sparking many questions: how much of the web fits our ethos? In our community, web development gets relentlessly criticized for its overreliance on dependencies, microservices, containers, serverless computing, and the list is long. Is ALL the mockery justified? Is the web ecosystem beyond saving?
+
+Let’s finally sort out what’s valuable from what’s not: can the web be Handmade?
+
+**P.S.** This isn’t a paid promotion or sponsorship. I reached out to Kagi personally.
+
+
+#### Terminal Click Under Scrutiny
+
+If you missed the last newsletter, here’s some exciting news: Allen Webster (AKA Mr. 4th) is speaking at Handmade Boston! Allen runs [Mr. 4th](https://mr4th.com/) Lab full-time, a software research lab focused on the problems facing general practitioners.
+
+He’ll be dissecting Terminal Click, my project that I hope to ship by the end of the year. Allen will dive into the codebase, explore how its features work together, and critique its architecture. He’ll look at things like my platform layer, arena usage, C strings, UI, and rendering strategy, and help solve long-standing issues.
+
+This is a rare chance to see a handmade project’s guts under a magnifying glass.
+
+
+#### Complete Boston Lineup by End of July
+
+This year’s HMB lineup is taking a bit longer, partly due to the tough economic climate. Talented folks I’ve reached out to are either job hunting, overwhelmed with work, or feeling unmotivated. Things are looking up for the [second half](https://www.investopedia.com/what-friday-s-inflation-report-tells-us-about-future-interest-rate-cuts-8671054) of the year, but it’s been rough for many.
+
+However, expect the lineup to be complete by the end of July. I’m having good conversations with promising new candidates. Keep the HMB [website](https://handmadecities.com/boston) bookmarked and check back for updates!
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://handmadecities.com/tickets" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">Tickets</a>
+</div>
+
+On a positive note, tickets for Boston are selling better than last year. Secure your seat now for peace of mind and support these masterclasses. Most of the ticket money goes towards venue rental, insurance, and helping cover travel costs for staff and speakers.
+
+
+#### The Death of “Don’t Reinvent the Wheel”
+
+Congrats to Ladybird!
+
+I woke up to exciting news about the Ladybird browser, announced in this YouTube [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9edTqPMX_k).
+
+![](/images/news/ladybird.jpg)
+
+![](/images/news/ladybird_hms.png)
+
+Ladybird, which to me embodies the Handmade ethos, just launched a nonprofit with serious funding from a GitHub founder. Ladybird is an independent browser created from scratch as part of SerenityOS by Andreas Kling. He demoed it at Handmade Seattle ~2-3 years ago, and it went viral ([example](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29270776)). Many see that [conference demo](https://vimeo.com/641406697) as a crucial stepping stone for the project’s (continued) success.
+
+This is the end of the “don’t reinvent the wheel” mindset and the community should celebrate.
+
+
+#### Time for my Jimmy Wales Speech 👀
+
+I like to give my Jimmy Wales speech now and then, hoping someone will support my efforts beyond just buying a ticket. Organizing two tech conferences in two major cities, with zero sponsors, is an insane thing to do. Profits are minimal and go back into the business, leaving nothing for myself.
+
+That’s where conference members come in. It’s my “Patreon”:
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://donorbox.org/handmadecities" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">Members</a>
+</div>
+
+A member is someone who not only enjoys the conference but also likes me personally. You want me to stay independent, so you throw five bucks a month my way.
+
+It’s easy to pause or cancel, no account required. I understand the fatigue of monthly commitments though: for those who prefer a one-time donation, Donorbox allows for that too—every bit helps.
+
+Your indie organizer,<br>
+Abner
+

content/english/news/fundraiser-perks.md

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+---
+title: "Fundraiser Perks"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "We're reaching the end of our official fundraiser. Today's your last day to contribute to the longevity of Handmade conferences… and to grab some…"
+date: 2024-02-29T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/trophy_cup-1080x675.png"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /fundraiser-perks
+---
+
+
+#### Dear Handmade Folks,
+
+It’s Dawn of the Final Day… for the Handmade Cities fundraiser! I’m blown away with the support so far. As many sponsored conferences fade away, the Handmade ones march on, fueled solely by us – no sponsors, no strings.
+
+Haven’t grabbed a fundraiser perk yet? Today’s the last chance:
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://handmadecities.com/fundraiser" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">Fundraiser</a>
+</div>
+
+Also catch me live on Twitch this afternoon Seattle Time, for some live reactions to last-minute contributions while I continue to work on Terminal Click.
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://twitch.tv/abnercoimbre" class="btn bg-purple-700 dark:bg-purple-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-purple-800 text-white"><i class="fab fa-twitch"></i> Twitch</a>
+</div>
+
+
+#### Personal Thank You Videos 📹
+
+To those snagging high-tier perks ($200+) or are donating monthly, hold tight for personalized thank-you videos. I’ll be rolling these out throughout March at a fast but reasonable pace.
+
+
+#### Conference Details this Spring 🌼
+
+**Mark your calendar for March 20th!** We’ll drop the dates and themes for Handmade Boston 2024 (summer) and Handmade Seattle 2024 (fall), along with the call for speakers and demos. Early bird tickets will be up for grabs too.
+
+If you snagged the _Hangry Conference Architect_ perk, you’ll be invited to a private chat room. We’ll be hosting special live-streams before the Spring: your input will influence which themes/topics are selected; you can even suggest speakers.
+
+Note that final decisions still rest with me.
+
+
+#### Content Creator: Abner’s Terrible Fate?
+
+More online presence, not less, is on the horizon for me – from Twitch to YouTube, [Mastodon](https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@abnercoimbre), and beyond. It’s time for us to cast a wider net and draw more eyes to Handmade Cities. Mainstreaming ChocoVine should be an interesting side-effect…
+
+Stepping further into the spotlight eats up time, so I’ll be leaning on [my staff](https://handmadecities.com/about) some more for important behind-the-scenes tasks. Massive thanks to them – their vibes and work ethic are always incredible.
+
+
+#### Handmade Meetup Hosts
+
+Quick shoutout to the hosts running Handmade [Meetups](https://handmadecities.com/meetups) – thanks for holding down the fort while I hustled through the fundraiser. You’ve done amazing, and I appreciate your consistency in organizing your monthly meetings while I have been anything but consistent in helping you.
+
+I encourage folks to check out the list of cities and sign up for one nearby. I hope to reconvene with the hosts shortly after this fundraiser. Finally, if you think you got the social chops to run meetups, send me an email! And if you already did, hang tight.
+
+Spring’s almost here,<br>
+Abner

content/english/news/handmade-boston-2024.md

@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+---
+title: "Boston 2024"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "Handmade Boston is this weekend! Here's the final lineup."
+date: 2024-08-06T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/jfk_library_1.webp"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /handmade-boston-2024
+---
+
+
+#### Handmade folks,
+
+Handmade Boston kicks off this Friday, August 9th! Here’s the rundown:
+
+##### Tickets
+
+It’s been a tough year for too many people, so we’re offering a last-minute 20% discount on both physical and online tickets:
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://buy.stripe.com/dR69AKbtN0uFaGc4gX" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">In-Person</a>
+</div>
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://buy.stripe.com/8wMcMWapJelv15C00s" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">Online</a>
+</div>
+
+Note that if you bought a combined ticket for both Boston and Seattle, a 20% discount was already baked-in.
+
+If you bought a single Boston ticket at the [standard](https://handmadecities.com/tickets) price and feel annoyed, check the FAQ at the end of the newsletter.
+
+
+#### Our Speakers
+
+Despite some challenges, we’re thrilled to have six incredible speakers joining us, three for each track:
+
+##### Physical Track
+
+* **Allen Webster:** Founder of [Mr. 4th](https://mr4th.com/) Lab and creator of 4coder, the editor used in the Handmade Hero series. Allen has worked for Casey Muratori (Molly Rocket) and RAD Game Tools (now Epic) and has done significant research on how to [reinvent](https://vimeo.com/485177664) day-to-day programming.
+
+  ![](/images/news/mr4th_labs.png)
+
+  At this conference, he’ll openly critique my uh, [contentious](https://lobste.rs/s/cysg6o/guiding_users_away_from_cd_ls) terminal emulator, Terminal Click 🙂
+
+  You get to be a fly on the wall as Allen questions my codebase, gaining insights to improve your own software. You can also scrutinize my choices during the Q&A session… I think it’s important to embrace collaboration and criticism to advance our Handmade projects and ship faster.
+
+  Join us for this scary masterclass (threatening for me haha): **“Terminal Click Under Scrutiny.”**
+
+* **Zac Nowicki:** Tech lead for the increasingly popular [Kagi](https://kagi.com/) Search.
+
+  ![](/images/news/kagi_mascot.png)
+
+  Web development gets a bad rap in the Handmade community for embracing too much complexity or ignoring the lower layers of abstraction. Is every single criticism justified? Is there any hope for the web anymore? I want Zac to help us sort this out once and for all.
+
+  Together, we’ll diagram how I wrote my own Ticketmaster replacement for the conferences and compare it to how Kagi itself is architected (to my own surprise, there are similarities!) Since Kagi handles traffic several orders of magnitude larger than Handmade Cities, we get to consider how a web application can remain small and performant as it scales larger and larger.
+
+  Welcome to Kagi’s spicy masterclass: **“Can the Web become Handmade?”**
+
+* **Graham Pentheny:** Senior Engineer at [Spry Fox](https://spryfox.com/) games who led the Cozy Grove engineering team.
+
+  ![](/images/news/cozy_grove.webp)
+
+  Graham is also one of the most prominent organizers of indie meetups in Boston: he famously [disbanded](https://bostonunitygroup.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/index.html) the largest Unity Gamedev Group in the world.
+
+  After two heavy technical masterclasses, it’s time for a more relaxed session. Graham and I will discuss how to build successful communities and how to thrive in them, touching on opportunities for new careers, mentorship, friendships, and collaboration. We’ll also take audience questions and workshop solutions to your social challenges in the programming world.
+
+  Let’s break down this phenomenon: **“The Social Fabric of Technical Communities.”**
+
+##### Online Track
+
+* **Billy Basso:** Creator of [Animal Well](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygL8eqX12MQ). When I reached out to Billy he reminded me that he attended the first Handmade Seattle during Animal Well’s early development and we chatted for a while. I let out a gasp when I searched the ticket sales records from that year. Core memory unlocked!
+
+  ![](/images/news/billy-basso.jpg)
+
+  In this exclusive interview, Billy reveals many of the programming strategies he used to create his game from scratch. He’ll also give us a sneak peek at his next project and explain why he isn’t reusing his game engine. Finally, Billy will offer advice on the skills needed to ship a game, beyond just programming.
+
+  We’re also planning to fly Billy to Handmade Seattle this fall, as a guest of honor, to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Handmade movement.
+
+  **Interview Title:** _“Shipping personal software – How you enter the mainstream while staying true to your values.”_
+
+* **Nuno Leiria:** Former Optimization Lead of Unreal Engine 5. Nuno joined us when Handmade Seattle was forced to go online in 2020: his succinct [presentation](https://vimeo.com/482436836) on modern CPU optimizations remains as relevant as ever.
+
+  ![](/images/news/nuno_leiria.jpg)
+
+  [Nuno](https://nunoleiria.com/) has since founded a brand new company with employees, and we’re excited to reveal juicy details at Handmade Boston. (Given his background with Epic Games and video games, you might guess what’s coming… !) I’ll investigate the technical choices behind his new vision, the ethics of his business model, and the bold moves I think he’s making for the future of game development.
+
+  Keep an eye on Nuno’s work even after Handmade Boston… he might be joining us for a certain job fair 😉
+
+  **Interview Title:** _“Nuno Leiria: A New Vision for Making Games”_
+
+* **Kaze Emanuar:** The legendary N64 game modder, also known as Nintendo’s worst nightmare, returns for an in-depth discussion about his most popular [demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_rzYnXEQlE) on drastically improving Super Mario 64’s performance. In this interview, we’ll expand and seek clarification on topics he couldn’t cover in his video.
+
+  ![](/images/news/kaze_story_time.jpg)
+
+  Finally, we’ll hear Kaze’s takes on the future of N64 modding and what his next moves are now that [static recompilation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywWwUuWRgsM) has come into play 👀
+
+  **Interview Title:** _“Kaze: Breaking Traditional Modding Boundaries”_
+
+
+#### Conference Schedule
+
+**The conference starts at 9:00 a.m. Boston Time** for both tracks.
+
+If you need any assistance you should email me at abner@handmadecities.com or join the Handmade Cities [Discord](https://handmadecities.com/discord).
+
+##### Physical Track
+
+We’re all meeting at the JFK Presidential Library. Huge building, can’t miss it:
+
+![](/images/news/jfk_library_background-scaled.jpg)
+
+**Ticket scanning begins at 8:30 AM:** search your Inbox for a _General Admission_ ticket and find the QR code!
+
+Friday will feature all the masterclasses, and Saturday will be for official hangouts, including a special reservation at Kings Dining and Entertainment with the speakers (conference ticket required.)
+
+![](/images/news/kings_dining_and_entertainment.jpg)
+
+We will have a 90-minute lunch break each day.
+
+P.S. Within the next day or two I’ll publish an interactive timeline on the [Boston](https://handmadecities.com/boston) page: detailing the speaker time slots, lunch hours, and all the official meetup spots outside the venue. It’s all taking place around the seaport.
+
+##### Online Track
+
+The online track will be streamed on my Twitch channel with the help of [Loris Cro](https://kristoff.it/), VP of Community for Zig. Follow below for notifications!
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://twitch.tv/abnercoimbre" class="btn bg-purple-700 dark:bg-purple-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-purple-800 text-white"><i class="fab fa-twitch"></i> Twitch</a>
+</div>
+
+Our exclusive interviews will be streamed in their entirety for free. These are very recent, pre-recorded conversations that have never been seen before. The speakers will be on Twitch chat and the entire event will last around 4 hours. The VOD will remain up for multiple weeks.
+
+When you buy a ticket for the online track, you’re doing it to support my indie conferences and to unlock the in-person recordings once they’re available! (These will remain private to ticket holders until 2025.)
+
+
+#### New Formula 🧪
+
+Last year, we tried a college-style approach with masterclasses, complete with homework. It didn’t quite work out as planned—most of you weren’t keen on the assignments. The feedback was clear: you come to these conferences to gain insights, get inspired, and network, not to do work.
+
+So we’re changing things up.
+
+This year, our masterclasses will be conversations with me. Think of it like a pianist’s [masterclass](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwebNT9AMiA)—a teaching moment with an audience of peers in order to level-up. Instead of correcting my piano playing, the speakers will scrutinize my engineering or broaden my expertise while I act as a vessel for ticket holders. After “talking shop,” you can ask questions to scratch your own itch during Q&A.
+
+And yes, no more homework.
+
+##### Expected Attendance
+
+In-person attendance for HMB is shaping up to be similar to last time. Unlike Seattle, you should think of dozens instead of hundreds. Here’s a snapshot from August 2023:
+
+![](/images/news/hmb.jpg)
+
+This makes sense—our popularity is on the rise with our second East Coast event, yet the tech industry’s horrible year has affected how many can join us, canceling out the gains. I like to call HMB the sister conference, with HMS in the fall being our flagship. The upside is that we get to recapture the intimate atmosphere the original Handmade conferences were known for.
+
+Will Boston grow in the future? Absolutely. But for now, let’s enjoy the relaxed vibes and good times.
+
+#### Frequently Asked Questions
+
+1. **Why offer discounts so late? I bought at standard price.** A: Reply to this email to discuss partial refund. 2024 is wacky; I’m trying to help ticket holders while also boost sales.
+2. **The conference is smaller than I expected.** A: We slimmed things down in order to stay solvent. Trust me, the official hangouts and after parties are still worth it. Otherwise, reply to discuss remedies: I want all ticket holders to be happy.
+3. **I’m financially disadvantaged. Can you help?** A: Yes! I can offer greater discounts or even some free seats if you explain your circumstances to me.
+
+Your indie organizer,<br>
+Abner

content/english/news/handmade-cities-fundraiser.md

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+---
+title: "Handmade Cities Fundraiser"
+meta_title: ""
+description: "Limited-time fundraiser for Handmade Cities. Contribute to our longevity, and grab some perks!"
+date: 2024-02-20T05:00:00Z
+image: "/images/news/perk-success-1080x675.jpg"
+categories: ["Press Release"]
+author: "Abner Coimbre"
+draft: false
+aliases:
+- /handmade-cities-fundraiser
+---
+
+
+#### Dear Handmade Community,
+
+I’m dropping you a quick note to share some exciting news about Handmade Cities and an opportunity for you to get involved. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been getting ready for a public fundraiser to steady my small business. No corporate jargon here – just a straightforward ask for your help:
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://handmadecities.com/fundraiser" class="btn bg-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-blue-800 text-white">Fundraiser</a>
+</div>
+
+There are some seriously valuable perks up for grabs 🏆 The high-tier ones are in very limited supply!
+
+
+#### When can you grab a perk?
+
+Hit the fundraiser button above! Contributions are already open! If you want your support to make a live appearance on stream, however, follow me on Twitch for notifications:
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+  <a href="https://twitch.tv/abnercoimbre" class="btn bg-purple-700 dark:bg-purple-700 
+  dark:text-white hover:bg-purple-800 text-white"><i class="fab fa-twitch"></i> Twitch</a>
+</div>
+
+I’ll be streaming daily for the next ten days (February 19-29th), starting tonight at Seattle Time. If you’re reading this hot off your Inbox, I am live on Twitch as we speak.
+
+
+#### What are my Twitch streams about?
+
+Expect some [Terminal Click](https://terminal.click/) action: my side-project that’s been unfolding in recent VODs. I’ll also be diving into different topics throughout the year:
+
+![](/images/news/streaming_list.jpg)
+
+Hang around on the streams to get a feel for things.
+
+
+#### Why the fundraiser?
+
+Widespread tech layoffs (and the fear of more) have dangerously affected my monthly donations. Individual donations are how I make a living, because conference tickets only cover operating costs; the fundraiser page has a detailed FAQ.
+
+Indeed, running indie tech conferences isn’t really profitable, but it allows me to stay true to my values:
+
+* 100% independence
+* Affordable tickets
+* Zero sponsors
+* Discounted/free tickets for those who need it
+* [Content](https://web.archive.org/web/20240425041427/https://handmadecities.com/media) curated by a fellow systems programmer (that’s moi)
+
+I’m in this to provide a platform for engineers interested in software quality, and who wish to respect (not exploit) their users. We’re an independent voice trying to make a difference.
+
+If you appreciate my work, I could really use your support right now.
+
+All the best,<br>
+Abner Coimbre