Culture -
Culture
The world’s biggest coming-together of young data enthusiasts is well underway - for the 20th year running. 6000 young people has filled Hamar’s Viking Ship Hall for this year’s big event, “The Gathering 2012”.
'The Gathering' (TG) is an annual data event for young enthusiasts that started in 1992 with 1.200 participants in the Skedsmo Hall, near Oslo. It has since grown steadily in popularity, and the last couple of years it has attracted ore than 5000 participants.
More than 13km of cables have been rolled out and 7568 connecting points have been installed, Atenposten writes.
In 1999 it was registered in The Guiness' Book of Records as the world's biggest temporary data network. Six years ago it was threatened by a Swedish meet, but then the Norwegian organizers managed to find a bit more room, and squeezed in a record 5100 enthusiasts.
The idea of the arrangement is to bring together young people interested in data communication and games, to socialize and to exchange knowledge on data computing.
To many youngsters, Easter is never the same without this big data session. Day and night the participants concentrate on data - and very little else.
Very little sleep at least, apart from a brief nap on the floor, if they find room.
Several hundred of the participants come from abroad to attend the five-day event, which started on Wednesday.
In addition to competitions, there are also lectures and seminars, workshops and social events.
The Gathering attracts growing interest, both nationally and internationally. TG is organized by the non-profit organization KANDU (Kreativ Aktiv Norsk DataUngdom/Creative Active Norwegian Computer Youth).
But on Sunday April 8th it's "Game over".
(NRK/Aftenposten/Norway Post/
Wednesday, 04 April 2012 07:16
Norway's King Harald is a popular monarch. In a poll made by MMI for Dagbladet shows that 93 per cent of those asked said the King is doing a good job for Norway.
