[EuroPython] Presentations online

[Laura Creighton]

<snip good stuff>
 
> E-mail is a narrowband medium compared to face-to-face chat. IMHO, the
> main advantage of a conference is to actually meet people. You don't need
> to go to a conf to get a glance at slides, but if you want to ask
> questions to the author or bounce ideas around, you pretty much won't get
> away without going :^). Moreover, on one hand slides are not papers and
> are not meant to convey as much and as detailed information and on the
> other hand, people reading interesting slides could say "I wasn't planning
> on attending, but I need to meet this guy".
> 
> My conclusion: the value of the conference is not as much in the slides
> and talks themselves, but in the meeting of people and the large sharing
> of information and opinions which cannot be done online. In a sense, not
> putting the slides on-line is like telling attendees "we're organizing a
> great event, but can't tell you publicly about the program because you
> wouldn't get as great an edge on people that don't attend and don't pay to
> learn about stuff like you are about to do".
> 
> -- 
> Nicolas Chauvat
> 
 +1000

But it is _ok_ if you are _too busy_ to get the slides to happen.  

I get precisely the same feeling about 'the value of a conference is
that you can get in on some deep secret that non-attendees miss out on'
as 'closed source is better, because only qualified people get to
see the source'.  If so many people have read your presentation, and
studied it up well that giving it would be boring .... then you have
the most incredible opportunity in the world.  A room full of people
who are as well-informed of your project as you could make them.
You lucky dog.  Go explore 'new directions for your project' with
a room full of the most talented, dedicated, creative people in the
business, who still want to talk with you because _they think what
you are doing is interesting_ ... at the very least.

Laura