Jeff D. 'Spud (Zeppelin)' Almeida writes:
> I don't know why it is that we (as a computer industry) feel
> compelled to attach grossly overinflated registration fees to our
> professional meetings, but the ones that don't have them (like YAPC)
> tend to be better-appreciated.
The registration fee is set based on the costs of producing it. TPC
has higher marketing, organization, and execution costs than YAPC did.
TPC could then afford to help speakers get to the conference--many of
the more remote Perl gods were helped with their travel to the early
TPCs.
YAPC is cheaper, and is fun in its own right, but it was a completely
different experience to TPC. Both, IMHO, were fun. YAPC was more
intimate and I had the feeling of excitement that it was being done on
the wire by folks just like me. At TPC I enjoyed the crowds, the huge
variety of people I could talk to, the ability to sit back and put
myself in someone else's hands, the resort atmosphere. One wasn't, I
don't think, better than the other. They both pleased me in different
ways.
The easiest way to avoid the Open Source Conference registration fee
is to be a speaker. I really strongly encourage *everyone* who does
fun and interesting mod_perl things to submit proposals for talks and
tutorial to the next conference. Speakers and tutors are comped
registration. Tutors even get *paid*. Imagine: being paid to fly to
Monterey in July and hang out with a bunch of mod_perlers ....
Nat
