From: ai474@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Farrell McGovern)
Subject: Re: MISC: New faces at conferences -- please!
Date: 11 Jun 1996 02:10:55 GMT
Message-ID: <4pikjf$dds@freenet-news.carleton.ca>
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet


Bubba (bubba@world.com) writes:
> Our field is experiencing a renaissance, with growth in many
> directions.  But the same old faces keep turning up at the
> conferences, as if attendance at a prior conference is a 
> necessary qualification to be invited to a subsequent confer-
> ence.  
> 
	One of the big things that has kept *me* from attending any VR
oriented conferences is the cost. Considering much of the real work
being done is by students, as well as those "hackers' with more MIPS
than megabucks, the conferences should consider...are they hthey there
to make money, or to build community?

	Science Fiction Fandom has been running conferences for almost
60 years, and have a very good community based model for running
them. It is so good in fact, that even a novice group can use the
model and run a successful event.

	Any conference runns on it's volenteers...and what many SF
Conferences do is let them in for free...all those gophers, panelists
etc get in free in return for their time.

	Maybe it's time to organize a true not-for-profit VR
conference, using the SF Con Model.

ttyl
     Farrell
ai474@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Farrell McGovern)

...continued when I can get back on line...