[EuroPython] Very ... challenging submissions

[Andy Robinson]

Harald Armin Massa wrote:

> I just checked the business track and found two submissions of 
> macedonian students, who think that attending the conference will really 
> pimp up their life.
> 
> Of course everybody is welcome; but it smells a little fishy. Does 
> anybody know of an actual "I am xxxx ungdu from macedonia" scam?

If the name is 'ungdu' it's not a Macedonian ;-)

We get a few of these each year for Python-UK/ACCU, usually Nigeria, but 
never from that part of the world.  Most "Former Yugoslav Republics" 
have no trouble entering the EU for visits.  But Switzerland is not EU 
and a glance at their site tells me Macedonians need visas.  There's a 
list here in 3 languages (not English):

  http://www.weisungen.bfm.admin.ch/einreise/visumvorschriften_f.asp

I usually find it amusing to tell these people that I have a duty to 
prove all applicants are bona fide, and I them to demonstrate some 
knowledge of Python or that they work in the business.

One guy a couple of years back made a huge excuse about burned down 
offices, exploding fax machines and why he could not prove to me that he 
was really a professional programmer, then eventually managed to quote 
back verbatim the first paragraph from www.python.org as proof of his 
"expertise"!  This was remarkable initiative; all others have gone away 
rather quickly after the first reply.

- Andy Robinson