This is in reply to Isaac Blake's recent posting about scheduling of SIGs at
Interex.
 
There is a difference in kind between a SIG meeting and a session, tutorial,
etc and they ought not conflict with one another.
 
I was able to attend three SIG meetings, but there were one or two others
that I wanted to attend but could/did not whether for schedule conflicts or
weariness.
 
I suggest that SIG chairs make a realistic assessment in advance of how long
they need for the meeting.  Planning SIG meetings requires the same effort
as a meeting back at the office.  I thought each of the SIGs that I went to
could have been scheduled or taken less time than each did.  I found that
some of the vendor, including HP presentations were in sufficiently
rigorous.  (This is not meant critically at any of the hard-working, unpaid
chairs of these meetings -- apology in advance if this offends: not
intended)  Verbally addressed administrative information might have more
effectively been distributed in a handout.  One SIG meeting spent twenty
minutes on an election!
 
I believe that most SIG meetings properly run can take an hour.  These can
be scheduled for the 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm time slot.  A SIG that lasts later
than that after a long day has passed the point of disminishing returns.
 SIGs that realistically need ninety minutes could well be scheduled for
lunch time in a separate room as Isaac suggests.  There is also the
possibility of breakfast sessions.
 
On the basis of a Tuesday through Friday noon conference, that would give
provide three after hours, three lunch time and four breakfast slots.  The
conference application should solicit attendees intentions for SIGs in
advance and schedule the sessions to avoid the least conflict in conjunction
with the time projections of the various SIG chairs.
 
To return to some of the earlier threads in the post-Toronto discussions, I
wish it were possible to structure the tutorial day so that attendees viewed
it as part of the conference, not just as an extra-fee add-on.  Secondarily,
registrants should be polled in advance for a second choice tutorial that
would be repeated in full or in a more limited form later in the week.
 
I was embarrassed for the volunteers who were lambasted so publicly in the
discussions during the past several days.  I've been to several conferences
since 1984.  Each had strengths and faults, but the level of acrimony in
this discussion was simply shocking, even taking into account that this is
probably the first time people could vent easily on the 'net.  Yes, there
are aspects of Toronto (read Denver, New Orleans, etc.) that were not
perfect, but we learn from experience and move on.
 
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