[Chicago] Tradeoffs (was: Acceptable transit times?)

[Peter Fein]

On Friday 08 December 2006 12:01, Martin Maney wrote:
> Sure, but this sort of thing always seems to beg the question: are we
> "selling" a convention that's worth attending or a vacation with a
> conference of secondary interest except as a way of excusing the
> expenditure?  Sure, there must be a few who would come only if the
> touristy bits attract them, but isn't PyCon aimed at the sort who want
> to attend the convention?  Who are more interested in informal
> extensions of those discussions than in tours or pub crawls?  (okay,
> maybe not the latter <grin>)

Part of the reason I'm not so keen on going to this year's PyCon  is because I 
dread the idea of being stuck in suburban Dallas, with the cultural options 
being limited to Starbucks, the hotel bar and dodging traffic while crossing 
the big-box-store parking lot. NB: I didn't go last year & don't really know 
if that's an accurate description of suburban Dallas... though it *is* an 
accurate description of Naperville. ;)

Hard-core pythoneers are going to come no matter where it is.  Location is 
perhaps more of an issue for those on the fence & for giving the hard-corers 
something to do when their laptop batteries die.

> Me, I dunno.  Maybe I just don't get conferences.

Yeah, I tend to travel for a particular purpose, but the chance to drink local 
microbrew is a close second. ;)

-- 
Peter Fein                                                     pfein at pobox.com
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