Re: [Debconf-team] Some thoughts: sponsored attendees
Hi Marga,
Just my 2¢, even though I haven't been involved in organizing at all.
On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 11:20:37AM -0300, Margarita Manterola wrote:
> So, regarding the sponsored attendees:
>
> I feel that the current policy (whoever registers and reconfirms on
> time gets free food and accom) is wrong. It creates a great deal of
> uncertainty regarding the budget and the size of the facilities
> required for these sponsored attendees. Thus, I propose that we use
> the policy that was used for DC4: there are a fixed number of
> sponsored places (for example: 250). If less than that number of
> people register and reconfirm on time, then all of them get sponsored
> food and accom. But if more than that number register, then the
> sponsored attendees are selected according to their participation in
> Debian.
That could work; but I think it's important that the number of sponsored
attendees is high enough so that people do not feel a restraint to
perhaps attend if they want to; because I have a feeling that there are
a number of people out there who may want to attend, but feel that
they're 'not important enough' or something else similarly silly to
receive sponsorship, and therefore do not even sign up -- even though
they're DDs who upload packages every other day or so.
> I think that the "Professional" category worked well this year, and
> next year it might work even better, if the professional attendees get
> to be in a hotel or so.
Honestly, I think that would suck. I don't mind paying for my stay
(that's what I did this year, after all), but I would mind being put
away in some other hotel somewhere, away from everyone else. I'm aware
that some people prefer sleeping in a hotel, but I'm not one of them.
When I go to Debconf, I don't go for a staff serving my every needs,
folding my cloths and putting my pajamas under my pillow (even though
that *was* very nice, this year); I go to meet other Debian people, in
the hope of learning some new of them and enjoying my time together, and
especially so that I can learn some new stuff from what they're doing.
If you're going to put me in a hotel somewhere separate from the venue
that the sponsored people sleep in, then that's not going to happen in
the same way.
Like I said, I can understand that some other people may want that, and
I do think it's a good idea to make a /choice/ available for those who
want it; but if you're going to make it the default that people who're
attending as 'professional' get to sleep in a hotel, then I'll probably
opt for sponsored stay next year.
--
<Lo-lan-do> Home is where you have to wash the dishes.
-- #debian-devel, Freenode, 2004-09-22
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