[Conferences-discuss] Let's step back a bit...

[Andrew Dalke]

David Ascher:
>       Rate your top three preferences
>           [ ] East Coast, US 
>           [ ] West Coast, US 
>           [ ] South, US
>           [ ] Midwest, US
>           [ ] Canada
>           [ ] Europe

Hey, you're being regionalist here.  You omitted the Southwest  ;)
as well as Alaska and Hawaii.

True story: I was at a client site in San Francisco.  One of the
people there asked if I was from the East Coast or the West.  "Neither,"
I replied.  "Oh!  The Midwest!"  "Nope."  After getting a quizzical
face I said "Southwest."

Another thing to point out is that a vote like this shouldn't
be used as a majority rule.  The last few conferences have been
 San Jose, Texas, DC, San Diego, DC
You can call Texas part of the South or the Southwest, but it
points out the Midwest is due a conference at some time.

Location: Southwest

Type of conference: I like the style of the previous conferences
  (is it a workshop or a conference style, or both?)

Time of year: not summer (too many other conferences then, and
  summer travel is more expensive)
I think Feb. is fine so long as it's not in places which are likely
to get snow, ice storms, and other nasty weather.  This also means
Miami in September (height of hurrican season) is right out.  :)

Preferred conference & hotel costs acceptable:
  Conference: $500 for all four days
  hotel: range of costs, from 'business' expensive at the conf.
   site to cheap motels close by.  I prefer $50/day or less.

Maximum conference & hotel costs acceptable:
  Conference: I can't really justify over $700 for most conferences,
   which is why I could only attend the two main days for the last
   couple of years
  Hotel: I could deal with up to about $100/day.  The more expensive
   it is the more likely I am to try to catch an early/late flight
   rather than spend the extra night; or find an alternate hotel and
   rent a car.

Type of accomodation acceptable: dorm room or cheap hotel.

Do you expect your employer to pay for your conference costs: self-employed

Are you on a low income: Ummm.... Depends on what you call 'low'.  I spend
   too much time working on open source software without getting a contract
   to do so, so I'm making about 1/2 what I could.  So it's voluntarily
   low.    

If you had to pay for paper conference proceedings separately, how
much would you want to pay: $10.


My biggest problem with the conference is that I can't justify the
cost of being for all four days, which means I'm pressed for time to
see all the talks I want, and the BoFs, and meet the people I want to
catch up with.  I'm self employed and was able to stay with friends
and freq. flier miles for the trip (most of my other travel is
reimbursed by my clients), so my costs outside the conference was
one night at the hotel and $20 for travel, or about $750.

If there is some way to get the total cost of the conference (four
days, plus travel, plus hotel) to under $800 then I would be happy.
Working backwards:
  $200 / air fare = $200 (Travelocity charge for Boston to ABQ)
  4 nights @ $50 = $200
                   -----
            $800 - $400 ==> $400 for the conference.

                    Andrew
                    dalke@dalkescientific.com