RWS@ZERMATT.LCS.MIT.EDU (Robert Scheifler) (07/01/88)
We are beginning to plan for the next X Conference. It will be held in January again, at MIT (but I promise it won't be as cold as last January :-). We don't have particular dates set yet; if you know of major conferences or meetings in January that you wouldn't want us to conflict with, please send mail soon to xconference@expo.lcs.mit.edu, giving the name of the shindig and the dates.
RWS@ZERMATT.LCS.MIT.EDU (Robert Scheifler) (07/01/88)
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 88 15:08:57 PDT
From: warner%s3snorkel@s3dawn.ARPA (Ken Warner)
o If you are determined to have it in January, hold it
in a warm place like Florida or California.
o If you are determined to hold it at MIT, have it in the spring
or early summer.
The reasons are simple. By holding it at MIT, we pay essentially
nothing for the facilities. This keeps our costs way down (which means
we can charge you less, like last year's $0), and makes logistics a
whole lot easier. But, to hold it at MIT, given that we need to consume
a significant amount of space for a number of days, the only really
feasible times are when classes aren't going on. This pretty much means
January (during Independent Activities Period) or summer. Summer is
clogged with enough conferences already.
(Besides, the cold weather helps keep the size of the crowd down to
those who are *really* interested :-)papa@pollux.usc.edu.UUCP (07/01/88)
In article <19880630222532.1.RWS@KILLINGTON.LCS.MIT.EDU> RWS@ZERMATT.LCS.MIT.EDU (Robert Scheifler) writes: | warner%s3snorkel@s3dawn.ARPA (Ken Warner) | o If you are determined to have it in January, hold it | in a warm place like Florida or California. | o If you are determined to hold it at MIT, have it in the spring | or early summer. | |The reasons are simple. By holding it at MIT, we pay essentially |nothing for the facilities. This keeps our costs way down (which means |we can charge you less, like last year's $0), and makes logistics a |whole lot easier. But, to hold it at MIT, given that we need to consume |a significant amount of space for a number of days, the only really |feasible times are when classes aren't going on. This pretty much means |January (during Independent Activities Period) or summer. Summer is |8L0?k{{{h{clogged with enough conferences already. ^^^^^^ Sorry to agree with the original poster, but while we sent 4 people to the last MIT X conference, we will send 0 people to the next one if it is held again in January. Reason: the weather. Talking to peers that live on West coast states and that were there last time, I hear the same reaction. Enough conferences? Come on, can't you find 5 days out of an entire summer? Simply doing it again (3rd time) in January is silly if not just plain stupid. I guess we will just have to wait for O'Reilly next manual :-) -- Marco Papa P.S.: These opinions are mine and not of my organization. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= uucp:...!pollux!papa BIX:papa ARPAnet:pollux!papa@oberon.usc.edu "There's Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Diga!" -- Leo Schwab [quoting Rick Unland] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
jim@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Jim Fulton) (07/01/88)
> Sorry to agree with the original poster, but while we sent 4 people to > the last MIT X conference, we will send 0 people to the next one if it is > held again in January. Reason: the weather. The technical presentations took place on two of the coldest days seen here in over a decade. The beginning of that week was actually quite pleasant. Furthermore, there are a lot of people who think that Boston's weather is fairly wimpy. > Enough conferences? Come on, can't you find 5 days out of an entire summer? Too many actually. That's 5 days for you, but how many for us to arrange it? Then when you throw in all of the multi-day meetings, providing free consulting (XPERT, telephone, electronic mail, and visitors), SIGCHI, USENIX, SIGGRAPH, not to mention trying to actually get some work done, you don't leave a lot of time. The same is true for most of the people who would be interested in attending this sort of conference. Then, when you finish taking those slices out of the calendar, you then have to compete for space with all of the summer programs that MIT runs. Who knows, it may be doable; but it is by no means a simple matter. > Simply doing it again (3rd time) in January is silly if not just plain stupid. Being condescending to people who provide you a free service is even more so, especially if you don't take the time to think about their constraints. Jim Fulton MIT X Consortium
schultz@mmm.UUCP (John C Schultz) (07/03/88)
In article <8807011417.AA01033@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU> jim@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Jim Fulton) writes: > >> Sorry to agree with the original poster, but while we sent 4 people to >> the last MIT X conference, we will send 0 people to the next one if it is >> held again in January. Reason: the weather. > >The technical presentations took place on two of the coldest days seen here in >over a decade. The beginning of that week was actually quite pleasant. >Furthermore, there are a lot of people who think that Boston's weather is >fairly wimpy. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You get used to cold weather just like you can get used to hot weather - personnel preference. My preference is that I can add enough clothes to survive outside in -10F weather but I have a hard time surviving in +100 with 90% humidity. (My skin is not removable.) In any case I think the weather issue is beside the point, I try to attend conferences for the technical content. Such sessions are generally held indoors where the temperature is held reasonably close to ideal regardless of the outside temperature or lack thereof. If MIT can put the conference on at low cost at MIT, this would seem to be a better approach than arranging rather expensive accomadations and conference rooms at a remote location with comparaativly little in the way of on-site support. If you want to go on a vacation, contact a travel bureau. -- john c. schultz schultz@mmm.UUCP (612) 733-4047 3M Center, Bldg 518-1-1, St. Paul, MN 55144-1000 The opinions expressed herein are, as always, my own and not 3M's.
papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (07/04/88)
In article <913@mmm.UUCP> schultz@mmm.UUCP (John C Schultz) writes: >If you want to go on a vacation, contact a travel bureau. I will :-) > john c. schultz schultz@mmm.UUCP (612) 733-4047 > 3M Center, Bldg 518-1-1, St. Paul, MN 55144-1000 ^^^^^^^^^^^^ I've been there. It's like at MIT last January, except that it is like that for the WHOLE winter. No wonder you don't care. When looking for other locations for the X Conf., please disregard Minneapolis or St. Paul :-) -- Marco -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= uucp:...!pollux!papa BIX:papa ARPAnet:pollux!papa@oberon.usc.edu "There's Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Diga!" -- Leo Schwab [quoting Rick Unland] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
MWolf@BCO-MULTICS.ARPA (Mary-Anne Wolf) (07/05/88)
Warm places are expensive to be in and get to in January, and I already know of people developing X-related things whose companies could not afford to get them to the last X conference. Have the conference during spring break or summer if you must, but keep it at MIT, and keep it cheap. MIT does HAVE a spring break, doesn't it? :-) It's possible to walk around MIT hardly going outside. Detailed indoor directions (possibly verbal rather than a map) from a T (subway) stop and one or more hotels to the lecture/BOF/tutorial locations would help people keep warm. I live within walking distance of Cambridge, and it's usually cold, but definitely not THAT cold. Mary-Anne Wolf, Honeywell Bull, Billerica MA MWolf -at BCO-Multics.ARPA These opinions are my own. Who else would want them? :-)
raveling@vaxa.isi.edu (Paul Raveling) (07/07/88)
In article <10352@oberon.USC.EDU> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: >In article <913@mmm.UUCP> schultz@mmm.UUCP (John C Schultz) writes: >... >> 3M Center, Bldg 518-1-1, St. Paul, MN 55144-1000 > ^^^^^^^^^^^^ >I've been there. It's like at MIT last January, except that it is like that >for the WHOLE winter. No wonder you don't care. When looking for other >locations for the X Conf., please disregard Minneapolis or St. Paul :-) I've lived there. ... thought -20 was comfortable enough, so Cambridge isn't bad at all. The local news reports of 50 below 0 wind chill last January must have been someone's fantasy; the lowest actual temp reported was +6. Cambridge is OK, even though it lacks a ski hill. --------------------- Paul Raveling Raveling@vaxa.isi.edu
wcs@skep2.ATT.COM (Bill.Stewart.[ho95c]) (07/08/88)
Some California wimps :-) have been complaining that MIT is too cold in the winter for them to go there. It helps to wear winter coats, which most people from LA don't own, but it's really not that bad. The way to get *cold* is to go to San Francisco in the summer. As long as somebody arranges a bus for skiing .... -- # Thanks; # Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G218, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs
wohler@spam.istc.sri.com (Bill Wohler) (07/09/88)
Marco Papa write: >Sorry to agree with the original poster, but while we sent 4 people to >the last MIT X conference, we will send 0 people to the next one if it is >held again in January. Reason: the weather. wimp. coming from california, i thought the 50 below temperatures were somewhat novel. my breath has never frozen on my mustache before. just leave your shorts and tank tops at home next time. but, if you can provide the x conference with free california facilities, i'm sure xconference@expo.lcs.mit.edu would be interested in talking with you, and you'd be able to wear your shorts and tank tops. --bw