A Look Back At Tech MeetUps And Ruhr.js
Tags: javascript, conferences
Published: 2019-10-08 10:39:38

---
title: A Look Back At Tech MeetUps And Ruhr.js
published: true
tags: JavaScript, conferences
canonical_url: https://www.rockyourcode.com/a-look-back-at-tech-meet-ups-and-ruhr-js
---

I've attended several local meetups this year. Being new to tech can be daunting because you don't know anyone, and you might feel that you don't fit in.

As a woman, it can also be intimidating because you _might_ be the only woman present.I'm pretty extrovert in such situations, so it was never a problem for me. But I can understand if others might feel uncomfortable.  
(I never experienced prejudices or sexism at meetups, though, I was always on equal footing with other attendees.)

**The atmosphere was friendly**, and I never felt weird. Many people were even surprised when they learned that I don't work as a programmer, so I was never the odd one out.

Lots of folks were happy to hear that I've taught myself to code and **were encouraging me** to continue.

At one of the meetups ([PottJS](https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/PottJS/)), I met [Madeleine Neumann](https://twitter.com/maggysche). She told me about [RuhrJS](https://ruhrjs.de/), a JavaScript conference she's organizing in the Ruhr area, Germany.

**[RuhrJS 2019](https://ruhrjs.de/)** took place last weekend. It was my **first tech conference**.

The first thing that I noticed about the schedule was that **there are several female speakers**.

During the opening, Madeleine emphasized the importance of the **code of conduct**.

They had a **care team** that was available if you experienced problems.

The conference offered **diversity tickets**. If you belong to an underrepresented group, you can attend the conference for free.

There also was a **[Conference Buddy](https://www.conferencebuddy.io/)** booth. If you were new to tech, didn't know anyone, or you were afraid of going alone to a conference, you could visit the booth and find someone who would support you.

All of those factors added up to a **community conference** that felt very **welcoming and inclusive**.

I loved how you were part of a group of fellow tech enthusiasts. And that being queer didn't raise any eyebrows.

While I did know some people beforehand, I'm sure it wouldn't have been a problem to attend the conference without acquaintances.  
I got to meet so many interesting people.

For me, **RuhrJS 2019 was an ideal first conference for a newbie**.

Being new to tech can feel scary, but there are a lot of folks who go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

### <svg aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" height="16" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg>Links

- [Ruhr.js](https://ruhrjs.de/)
- [Conference Buddy](https://www.conferencebuddy.io/)
- [MeetUp.com](https://www.meetup.com/)