SBAY Pizza Location Selection
This page describes the traditions behind the nomadic style of the SBAY Pizza locations. No location is perfect by all the criteria but this is what we look for.
3rd Saturday of the month
This is one thing that doesn't change. It's been on the 3rd Saturday of the month since October 1993. The 150th monthly SBAY Pizza was celebrated in March 2006.
3 months in one location
We hold the SBAY Pizza in the same place 3 months in a row (one calendar quarter) so that people can use the same directions more than once. On rare occasions we have stayed a second quarter in a row in one location.
In 2005, we actually stayed in one location for 3 calendar quarters (9 months) because it was the first pizza place we found with Wi-Fi access. We eventually didn't need that any more as SVWUX members found ways to provide Wi-Fi for our own meetings, with either links to the SVWUX repeater or by an EVDO cell data router.
Reservable space
Ideally, we'd like to have a reservable room or set-aside space where we can talk away from most of the noise in the place. We can be flexible on this before other criteria.
Move around to let different members have it close to home
The reason we move the SBAY Pizzas on a regular basis is because of a very old compromise which seems just as relevant today. It's a big valley. No location is convenient for everyone. So we take turns letting some have it close to home.
Selection process favors people who show up
The selection process favors suggestions of people who actually show up for an SBAY Pizza, for obvious reasons of maintaining attendance.
The first chance to make suggestions is at the SBAY Pizza events. If a location isn't selected there, we can take suggestions on the
SBAY Social mail list. If all else fails, the pizzamaster (a wordplay on postmaster or webmaster) will select something using these criteria.
Near freeways
Most attendees drive to an SBAY Pizza. At any given time, most are not having their turn for it to be close to home. So having it conveniently accessed from freeways is a compromise in everyone else's favor.
Near transit
There are often one or a few people who use transit to get there. When checking transit availability of a location, don't forget to check what train or bus routes actually operate on Saturday evenings, and how late they run.
Wi-Fi Access
Since the 2nd Quarter of 2005, we have been spoiled into having Wi-Fi Internet access available, when we found the new Round Table Pizza on North First at Tasman in North San Jose was installing Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is now a requirement. However, we only needed it from the restaurant in 2005. As of 2006, we can provide it ourselves now with EVDO routers if we need to.
Past SBAY Pizza locations
Never again... locations which have been banned
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