Refresh Colombo. Refreshing
Janith is on stage alternately demoing and exposing bugs in his bus route app. I know a lot of these guys from online but it’s different when you actually meat. I mean meet. The room does have that warm hacker smell.
As Janith closes, he reiterates that the project is open source and invites everyone to contribute. He say something like, ‘I think it’s something we can all be proud of as Sri Lankans’. I smile. I’m quite happy to be alive.
I’m a geek. I like ideas, I like computers, I like books, I like to play. I’m not a war blogger. That’s just the way things turned out. When I came back to Sri Lanka in 2004 I thought the war was over. I thought the peace process was going to work. It didn’t, and the war just got worse. I’ve been writing about war and politics for six years now, but it’s not me. It’s not who I am. I’m a geek.
Why I’m so happy is that groups like Refresh Colombo are growing and that there are kids on Kottu and all over who are interested in Linux or Android or obscure databases and bits of javascript. That’s cool. That’s how it should be. I pray that kids in the north and east will get the same chance. They are, and they will, though God knows they’ve been disconnected to long. The government isn’t doing right by them by farm, but for the first time in 30 years, they have a chance. We all do.
Before Janith, this great geek came onstage and joked about his unpronounceable name Sivagurunathan Thejomayanantha (@aerobender). He then proceeded to give the most entertaining and enlightening takedown of mobile operating systems I’ve ever heard. Well, I haven’t heard many, but it was good. His name is Tamil, but in that room he was just a geek. On Twitter he says he’s a ‘A KDE Loving, DRM hating Sri Lankan.’ Finally, some acronyms worth debating.
Today on the 
Janith has updated 
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
Sri Lankan domestics never say anything, they just stop coming. My maid just stopped coming and when I finally pressed her she said I needed to get a washing machine. I was hoping to ride this one out, but I’ve run out of underwear and I have no choice. I finally caved and bought a washing machine, from 
I always wanted to be there. But the distance and the time is a prob :(
is this event broadcast on Learn TV or anywhere to watch videos
adaderana.lk live feeds the event so even if you miss the meeting physically you can follow proceedings online. A recap of the July event is here http://adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=14304 . More on Refresh Colombo here! http://www.refreshcolombo.org
Was lovely finally meeting you in meat, Indi. :D
And Siva was awesome! The MS/Symbian stuff was gold! :D
Dear Indi
It was nice to have met and spoken to you that day at Refresh Colombo.
I did have the priviledge of sittng next to you and I got know to know that it was you only after I saw you writing your name down in the circulation that was passed.
This was my first visit to Refresh Colombo and all the topics and programs that were discussed their were very interseting and inspiring. I wish I had attended the previous sessions.
I would recomend this to anyone interseted in Technology or Computing. I hope I would meet you in the next Refresh Colombo meeting
Thank You
Hasala Perera
@ Malinthe
What time it will telecast .?