>How are any of the expenses paid for something like that. The building, the materials, etc? Serious question, not just trying to stir things up.
>

The only expenses I know of would be the building and the food. The building is generally a microsoft office, so I'm assuming that there is some MS corporate sponsorship. All I know is: I go, I am dry, I get fed (food and knokwledge), I make a bunch of friends, then I go home. :)