[Inpycon] Some thoughts on talks

[Noufal Ibrahim]

On Tue, Sep 28 2010, Kannappan wrote:

> On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 12:45 PM, Kenneth Gonsalves <lawgon at au-kbc.org>wrote:

[...]

>> one precaution we can take when accepting talks is to see where the
>> speaker is coming from. Many of them are deputed by their companies to
>> speak (usually to blow the company's trumpet). Take for example the talk
>> on openstreetmap. The person who was supposed to speak is unheard of in
>> OSM circles, and was probably deputed by mapquest to talk. He did not
>> turn up - disappointing quite a few people. I would have submitted a
>>
>
> Coming from mapquest.. I wish to say that the talk I gave was out of my own
> interest for python. The company did not depute anyone.. I would have
> preferred to remain silent not replying to such mails...anyways..
>
> Despite some elitist remarks from a few ppl.. I was surprised to find most
> of the audience in my talk had never programmed in python before.. I hope my
> talk was useful to at least a few folks.

[...]

I'm sorry if Kenneth's mail offended you. I didn't attend your talk but
I met you later and I believe you. 

His point however stands. There are lots of people who try to piggy back
on conferences and to avoid sponsoring it, send a few people to try to
scout for talent and blow the company's trumpet. Talks by such people in
the main slots should be watched out for. 

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