Jerry,
  I understand about the thankless job of organizing and I'd like to make it
just a little less thankless :-).  The one HPWorld I've been to was a great
success, at least as far as I am concerned (and I did enjoy hearing Dave
Barry :-), and I thank all who spent time and effort putting it together.  I'd
like, though, to pick just a couple of small nits.

>                      Overwhelming feedback from those who provide it
> has been to have an entertaining opening speaker and not still more HP
> or industry/technical speakers.  Even attendance at these events is
> clearly higher than any of the other conference speakers.

I can't speak to "overwhelming feedback", but it seems likely to me that the
fact that attendence at the first meeting of the conference which has no
competition even from the vendor show being higher is maybe not a strong
arguing point.

> >    - overly loud music in the "mixers"/"parties", preventing
> >      conversation (which is, after all, one of the primary
> >      reasons for going to a conference: to *talk*);
>
> Additional forum's have been added to help facilitate the interaction
> among the attendees, such as the 'meet the architects' session last
> year (although Stan see's these people on a regular basis so probably
> didn't fit his need).  The one mixer/party put on by Interex is for
> just that, a party.  So yes, it'll probably not be an ideal place
> to carry on extended conversations,

It appears that at least a portion of the membership is calling loudly for
that party to become a place to carry on extended conversations.  Since
Interex is concerned about it's membership's desires, making this adjustment
would seem to be indicated.

That being said, I'm looking forward to getting to attend again this year
and do appreciate your hard work.  See y'all there!

Ted

P.S.  I know that Larry Wall was suggested in jest in another message, but he
actually is quite a good speaker, being both humorous and thought-provoking.
Could you put him on the list to consider for next year?  If I were trying to
decide whether to come or not, having him for a keynote *would* sway my
decision toward coming.
--
Ted Ashton ([log in to unmask]), Info Sys, Southern Adventist University
          ==========================================================
It has been pointed out already that no knowledge of probabilities, less in
degree than certainty, helps us to know what conclusions are true, and that
there is no direct relation between the truth of a proposition and its
probability. Probability begins and ends with probability.
                        -- Keynes, John Maynard
          ==========================================================
         Deep thoughts to be found at http://www.southern.edu/~ashted