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Posted to modperl@perl.apache.org by Greg Cope <gj...@rubberplant.freeserve.co.uk> on 2000/07/19 13:18:22 UTC

ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Dear All

As some of you are at a conferance at the mo and I am still at work ;-(
I thought I'd ask about apacheCon Europe - although not strictly
mod_perl there is a relevance - even if tenous.

I've never been to an IT conferance like these -  and they appear quite
popular. Especially the BOF's.

I am considering going to the ApacheCon Europe to see what's said and
put a few faces to names and meet a few people.

However, I've just seen the prices - I am not saying that everyone
should do this for free or not be paid thier travel / hotels, but it
seems a little expensive.

Three days off work + threeday pass + other expenses + travel = 5% of my
income (I am contractor - hence I pay for it all).

Am I being a scruge or is this a fair reflection of the cost of going to
an event ?  Will there be out-of-Conference events that
non-conference-goeres can attend ?

Thoughts from anyone ?

Greg Cope


Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by Greg Cope <gj...@rubberplant.freeserve.co.uk>.
Richard Dice wrote:
> 
> > I am considering going to the ApacheCon Europe to see what's said and
> > put a few faces to names and meet a few people.
> 
> So am I.  And I'd be shipping myself in from Montreal/Toronto for it.
> I'm sure it will be worth the money, but I sympathise in terms of paying
> out of pocket for it as well, as I'd be doing the same.
> 
> I'm not sure if it's "a fair reflection" of the price of having an attendee
> there, but that's not what it's about:  It's about making money.  The
> conference organizers have their dreams of financial security, too, and
> are looking for an appropriate work/risk/reward pay-off as well.
> 
> I don't think you're being a scruge.  It's a lot of money to be looking
> at -- I know. :-)
> 
> History will show whether I get up the guts to write the cheque myself.

I've now reconsidered and am trying to summon up the will to write the
cheque as well.

Greg Cope

> 
> Cheers,
> Richard
> 
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Richard Dice * Personal 514 816 9568 * Fax 514 816 9569
>  ShadNet Creator * http://shadnet.shad.ca/ * rdice@shadnet.shad.ca
>  Occasional Writer, HotWired * http://www.hotwired.com/webmonkey/
>      "squeeze the world 'til it's small enough to join us heel to toe"
>          - jesus jones



Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by Matt Sergeant <ma...@sergeant.org>.
On Sun, 23 Jul 2000, Richard Dice wrote:

> > I am considering going to the ApacheCon Europe to see what's said and
> > put a few faces to names and meet a few people.
> 
> So am I.  And I'd be shipping myself in from Montreal/Toronto for it.
> I'm sure it will be worth the money, but I sympathise in terms of paying
> out of pocket for it as well, as I'd be doing the same.
> 
> I'm not sure if it's "a fair reflection" of the price of having an attendee
> there, but that's not what it's about:  It's about making money.  The 
> conference organizers have their dreams of financial security, too, and
> are looking for an appropriate work/risk/reward pay-off as well.
>  
> I don't think you're being a scruge.  It's a lot of money to be looking
> at -- I know. :-)
> 
> History will show whether I get up the guts to write the cheque myself.

Do it - the mod_perl hackers are a fun bunch to spend time with, both in
and outside of conference hours. Think of it as a holiday where you learn
stuff!

-- 
<Matt/>

Fastnet Software Ltd. High Performance Web Specialists
Providing mod_perl, XML, Sybase and Oracle solutions
Email for training and consultancy availability.
http://sergeant.org | AxKit: http://axkit.org


Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by Richard Dice <rd...@pobox.com>.
> I am considering going to the ApacheCon Europe to see what's said and
> put a few faces to names and meet a few people.

So am I.  And I'd be shipping myself in from Montreal/Toronto for it.
I'm sure it will be worth the money, but I sympathise in terms of paying
out of pocket for it as well, as I'd be doing the same.

I'm not sure if it's "a fair reflection" of the price of having an attendee
there, but that's not what it's about:  It's about making money.  The 
conference organizers have their dreams of financial security, too, and
are looking for an appropriate work/risk/reward pay-off as well.
 
I don't think you're being a scruge.  It's a lot of money to be looking
at -- I know. :-)

History will show whether I get up the guts to write the cheque myself.

Cheers,
Richard

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Richard Dice * Personal 514 816 9568 * Fax 514 816 9569
 ShadNet Creator * http://shadnet.shad.ca/ * rdice@shadnet.shad.ca
 Occasional Writer, HotWired * http://www.hotwired.com/webmonkey/
     "squeeze the world 'til it's small enough to join us heel to toe"
         - jesus jones

Re: [OT]: Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by Gunther Birznieks <gu...@extropia.com>.
At 06:59 PM 7/21/00 +0000, you wrote:
>Gunther Birznieks wrote:
> >
><snippage> >
> >
> > >Thoughts from anyone ?
> >
> > Yeah, you're being pretty cheap. :)
> >
> > Well, I'm sort of kidding here. But the reality is that a conference offers
> > a lot -- not just knowledge (then just attend a tutorial locally at Sun or
> > someplace) but networking. The coordination of a conference is a huge task.
> >
> > Anyway, most conferences do have a free vendor expo, but I don't think that
> > it's nearly as good as going to a whole conference. If you really want to
> > attend a conference for "free", why don't you contribute back to the
> > community that has been helping you make a living and give a talk?
>
>Would love to - but I regard myself as in the "no-longer a newbie, but
>not an
>expert" stage, and certainly not in the same league as the poeple whom
>are
>already giving talks.

Well, I think that high-faluting talks on the X-Factor of multithreaded 
Perl and how Objects can instantiate .3% quicker are moderately useful at 
conferences, but I think based on your posts here, you should at the very 
least consider doing case study talks (eg the reasoning behind your IPC 
Template system is very interesting).

At most conferences, I think you'll also find there is usually a talk for 
everyone from tech to business (it's not all tech). And different levels of 
tech talks.

Anyway, even if you find yourself ending up not doing a talk on the topic 
you submit, you might be able to turn it into an article. Articles and the 
like are surely useful to your CV as a consultant?  And of course, you 
usually get paid for an article which would pay some of the conference fee 
(article pay isn't quite as high as a conference fee usually though).

It is likely too late to do a talk submission and preparation for ApacheCon 
Europe, but it's not too late to start thinking about submitting something 
for next year for a conference you might want to attend whether it is 
ApacheCon or Oreilly PerlCon, YAPC, or whatnot.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide.

Later,
   Gunther


Re: [OT]: Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by Greg Cope <gj...@rubberplant.freeserve.co.uk>.
Gunther Birznieks wrote:
> 
<snippage> >
>
> >Thoughts from anyone ?
> 
> Yeah, you're being pretty cheap. :)
> 
> Well, I'm sort of kidding here. But the reality is that a conference offers
> a lot -- not just knowledge (then just attend a tutorial locally at Sun or
> someplace) but networking. The coordination of a conference is a huge task.
> 
> Anyway, most conferences do have a free vendor expo, but I don't think that
> it's nearly as good as going to a whole conference. If you really want to
> attend a conference for "free", why don't you contribute back to the
> community that has been helping you make a living and give a talk?

Would love to - but I regard myself as in the "no-longer a newbie, but
not an
expert" stage, and certainly not in the same league as the poeple whom
are
already giving talks.

> 
> Let's put it this way, conferences are pure and simple a business expense
> BUT they are also fun. Don't go if it's not fun.
> 
> Then look at it like this... what do you pay to go on vacation? Surely it's
> the same basic formula minus the conference fee which by itself is less
> expensive than getting training the equivalent days at SUN. If you didn't
> go on vacation because it cost you 5% of your salary... OK then... that's
> your choice... then I guess I would find it hard to convince you that it's
> also worth it to go to a conference.

Thanks - I'm having secound thoughts.

Greg

> 
> Later,
>    Gunther
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Gunther Birznieks (gunther.birznieks@extropia.com)
> eXtropia - The Web Technology Company
> http://www.extropia.com/


Re: [OT]: Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by Vivek Khera <kh...@kciLink.com>.
>>>>> "DH" == David Hodgkinson <da...@hodgkinson.org> writes:

DH> Gunther Birznieks <gu...@extropia.com> writes:

>> Well, I'm sort of kidding here. But the reality is that a conference offers 
>> a lot -- not just knowledge (then just attend a tutorial locally at Sun or 
>> someplace) but networking.

DH> Buying key people lots of beer in other words.

Or getting lots of beer bought for you... ;-)

The beer at Perl 4.0 was quite good!

Re: [OT]: Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by Greg Cope <gj...@rubberplant.freeserve.co.uk>.
David Hodgkinson wrote:
> 
> Gunther Birznieks <gu...@extropia.com> writes:
> 
> > Well, I'm sort of kidding here. But the reality is that a conference offers
> > a lot -- not just knowledge (then just attend a tutorial locally at Sun or
> > someplace) but networking.
> 
> Buying key people lots of beer in other words.

LOL

I was thinking that this may be cheaper ....

Greg Cope

> --
> Dave Hodgkinson,                             http://www.hodgkinson.org
> Editor-in-chief, The Highway Star           http://www.deep-purple.com
>       Apache, mod_perl, MySQL, Sybase hired gun for, well, hire
>   -----------------------------------------------------------------



Re: [OT]: Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by David Hodgkinson <da...@hodgkinson.org>.
Gunther Birznieks <gu...@extropia.com> writes:

> Well, I'm sort of kidding here. But the reality is that a conference offers 
> a lot -- not just knowledge (then just attend a tutorial locally at Sun or 
> someplace) but networking.

Buying key people lots of beer in other words.

-- 
Dave Hodgkinson,                             http://www.hodgkinson.org
Editor-in-chief, The Highway Star           http://www.deep-purple.com
      Apache, mod_perl, MySQL, Sybase hired gun for, well, hire
  -----------------------------------------------------------------

[OT]: Re: ApacheCon Europe - thoughts please ?

Posted by Gunther Birznieks <gu...@extropia.com>.

At 11:18 AM 7/19/00 +0000, Greg Cope wrote:
>Dear All
>
>As some of you are at a conferance at the mo and I am still at work ;-(
>I thought I'd ask about apacheCon Europe - although not strictly
>mod_perl there is a relevance - even if tenous.
>
>I've never been to an IT conferance like these -  and they appear quite
>popular. Especially the BOF's.

I can see why you are having trouble understanding why the expense is worth 
it if you've never gone.

>I am considering going to the ApacheCon Europe to see what's said and
>put a few faces to names and meet a few people.
>
>However, I've just seen the prices - I am not saying that everyone
>should do this for free or not be paid thier travel / hotels, but it
>seems a little expensive.
>
>Three days off work + threeday pass + other expenses + travel = 5% of my
>income (I am contractor - hence I pay for it all).

795 pounds for early bird special? Translates to about US$1400. That seems 
pretty reasonable for a 3-day conference. I've seen ones that cost more.

>Am I being a scruge or is this a fair reflection of the cost of going to
>an event ?  Will there be out-of-Conference events that

This is the fair cost and you are being a scruge. There are cheaper 
conferences around but they are usually grass roots, holed up in a 
university etc...

>non-conference-goeres can attend ?
>
>Thoughts from anyone ?

Yeah, you're being pretty cheap. :)

Well, I'm sort of kidding here. But the reality is that a conference offers 
a lot -- not just knowledge (then just attend a tutorial locally at Sun or 
someplace) but networking. The coordination of a conference is a huge task.

Anyway, most conferences do have a free vendor expo, but I don't think that 
it's nearly as good as going to a whole conference. If you really want to 
attend a conference for "free", why don't you contribute back to the 
community that has been helping you make a living and give a talk?

Let's put it this way, conferences are pure and simple a business expense 
BUT they are also fun. Don't go if it's not fun.

Then look at it like this... what do you pay to go on vacation? Surely it's 
the same basic formula minus the conference fee which by itself is less 
expensive than getting training the equivalent days at SUN. If you didn't 
go on vacation because it cost you 5% of your salary... OK then... that's 
your choice... then I guess I would find it hard to convince you that it's 
also worth it to go to a conference.

Later,
   Gunther

__________________________________________________
Gunther Birznieks (gunther.birznieks@extropia.com)
eXtropia - The Web Technology Company
http://www.extropia.com/