But others were! Lots of others in fact! And we have pictures and cool stories to prove it. Rather than me share some interpreted anecdotes as assembled by the gang who could make it, we’ve put together a short collection of vignettes.

Matt C: “I enjoyed talking with Cynthia – she said some are saying technology is keeping kids indoors. She wants to use technology to get them outside (BUG scavenger hunt is an easy hit).”

Amie: “I met a handful of people who are considering or have already applied for a job at Bug Labs. That made me feel good.”

Melinda: “There was a woman that showed up last night who had no tech experience and wasn’t working in the tech industry, but when she heard about BUG she was so excited over the possibilities that she had to stop by to see it in person. I think one of the most rewarding aspects of the evening was talking to people that aren’t geeks, but who still see the potential for something truly great in what we’re doing. ”

Brian B: “I spent most of the night demoing a simple BUG application. The app lets you snap a photo, draw on and annotate the photo, and then upload the photo directly to an rss feed. Most people get uncomfortable when you point a BUG at them, but once they saw the beautiful art we made, they relaxed.” (more on Brian’s app here, expect an update from him soon!)

Peter: “I had a terrific conversation with a woman interested in getting more girls into technology. We both agreed the Test Kitchen could be a great resource. Alicia wants to have a “GeekGirlz” nite ” (JT’s note: after a lengthy lecture on appropriate terminology, we determined that the discussion was actually about encouraging young women to pursue technology-focused careers. Good job Peter!)

Amie: “I talked to Dan, a software developer from hedge fund company, who found out about us on the day of open house and decided to stop by with two of his colleagues. It’s always good to see such enthused reaction from fellow developers!”

Matt C: “100 beers gone, and plenty of Bug shirts awarded…. Awesome to see so many people so engaged – and trying out applications (like draw pad)”

Big thanks to everyone who could make it and join the crew. Maybe next time we’ll have one in San Francisco and leave them New Yorkers jealous?? Of course they do have the awesome new Test Kitchen there, not to mention the engineering staff and everything. Oh well, at least we’ve got better burritos!