lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) (12/06/83)
As it turns out, I have already been in communication with Usenix over a number of issues, including network map/directory support, the conference "problems", and the possible rebirth of West and East coast regional TECHNICAL meetings (just like in the good old days, remember?) Things are happening. Odds are that the Washington UniForum will be pretty grim, but efforts are being made to make some rather drastic changes down the line... --Lauren--
rab@cdcvax.UUCP (Roger Bielefeld) (12/07/83)
I realize that someone else commented on this recently, but here's a corroboration and (maybe) just a little more... A friend of mine also pulled the unforgiving stunt of indicating on the UniForum registration form that he wanted to attend sessions opposite one another. He, too, got a call saying that that just wasn't permitted. He was also told that (1) badges, tickets, or something similar would be issued to insure that only those who had properly indicated their desire to attend a particular session would be permitted to, that (2) if there were seats remaining after those who had officially enrolled for a session had had their chance to get in, others would be allowed in, and [hold onto your hats for this one] that (3) if a legitimate enrollee for a session left the room during the session, he or she would be required to stand in line outside the room with the non-enrollees in order to get back in. One thing that really burns me up about this is that nothing of these policies is mentioned in the glossy registration form that was sent out. You don't have yours handy? Well, I do, and here's what it says: "...Note that many of the sessions are concurrent. You are asked on the registration form (page 7) to indicate your preferences on which sessions you will attend. This assists the organizers in making the best possible seating and audio-visual arrangements." It doesn't sound to me like there's anything binding about what little numbers I choose to circle on the form. What do you say? Do we just ignore all this b*llsh*t and do things like we always have in the past, or do we turn ourselves into sheep? Roger Bielefeld decvax!cwruecmp!cdcvax!rab
mac@allegra.UUCP (12/07/83)
I haven't registered for the Unix conference yet, and I may not be able to for a while - I'm waiting for my boss to decide if he'll send me. I absolutely object to this "leave the room and you'll have to wait on line to get back in" policy. Do you mean to tell me that if I have to go to the can in the middle of a talk, I may miss out on the rest of it because I can't get back in? BULL****! If my company pays for me to attend a conference, I will not let some stupid bureaucrat tell me what sessions I can go to, or whether or not I can leave the room. I suggest mass non-violent protest, to wit: just ignore the badges and do what you want to. What are they going to do, call out the National Guard and shoot innocent programmers? An old protester revived, Jim McParland Spiridellis and Associates allegra!mac
chris@grkermit.UUCP (Chris Hibbert) (12/08/83)
I, for one, paid little attention to the ritual circling of numbers since there was so little information on the registration form to tell me what the choices might mean. If they're going to tell me that choices made in haste on the basis of little information are retroactively binding, I'm going to be awfully upset. Doesn't Usenix talk to the companies they hire to run conferences for them?
norman@decvax.UUCP (Norman Wilson) (12/09/83)
Having also had the audacity to circle time-conflicting sessions,
I too have now had the honour of being rung up by a UniForum person
and informed that I'm not allowed to do so. I spent some time
arguing with the (rather patient) person on the other end, and
was told the same shocking tales of tickets for specific sessions,
no walking between sessions in the middle, no standees, &c. I
was also given the following address to which complaints should
allegedly be sent:
John Dobberton
Suite 205
2400 East Devon Ave.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
All but the name is the same as the address to which you're meant
to send your registration form. Presumably Dobberton is the
appropriate managerial person in the Professional Exposition
Management Company of Chicago (PEMCO), who are, according to the
glossy brochure, the folks hired to manage the show. It is interesting
that I was referred to him, not to anyone in either of the UNIX
organizations sponsoring the conference.
The way meeting rooms are being handled is clearly quite inappropriate
to a technical conference such as USENIX is meant to be; it seems
almost designed to stifle the off-line discussions and informality
which have made past conferences so useful! If what I've seen so far
is a fair sample of PEMCO's intended management, I'm not sure
UniForum is worth the week (and the large chunk of my skimpy
academic travel budget) I'll have to invest. Before giving up on
it entirely, though, I'd be interested to know if this is simply
the way PEMCO think they're meant to do all conferences (perhaps being
more accustomed to vacuum-cleaner sales conventions?). Could it be
that a firm word from whoever in /usr/group and/or USENIX hired them
would alleviate some of the fascism? I find it hard to believe that
either of the UNIX organizations intend to treat their members like
kindergarteners, or to destroy the informal atmosphere which has
been such an important part of all USENIX conferences (and DECUS
symposia) I've attended.
If appropriate officers of /usr/group or USENIX are out there,
have you any comments?
Norman Wilson
Caltech High Energy Physics group
{ucbvax|ihnp4|decvax}!cithep!normanjeff@ssc-vax.UUCP (Jeffrey Jongeward) (12/09/83)
Well, at least you guys are doing better than us! Tho' we have attended the last umpteen Unix meetings (including the last one), nobody here has yet received even a registration form (we did receive the pre-registration sheet, however)!
johnl@haddock.UUCP (12/11/83)
#R:vortex:-20100:haddock:18700001:000:327 haddock!johnl Dec 8 10:37:00 1983 I wouldn't worry too much about net being let into meetings to which the drones didn't think we wanted to go. There'll be about 1000 of us standing outside the room, and perhaps one or two drones trying to keep us out. And Unix fans have never been noted for their orderly behavior... Anarchically, John Levine, ima!johnl