[EuroPython] Extra "Personal" ticket charge to Early Bird conditions on Monday

[Jacobo de Vera]

On Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 12:20 PM, John Pinner <funthyme at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> On 7 February 2014 21:28, Jacobo de Vera <devel at jacobodevera.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 2:49 PM, Andreas Jung <lists at zopyx.com> wrote:
>
> <snips>
>>
>> I don't really understand the point in doing early bird tickets based
>> on a closed number of tickets.
>
> Because conference organisers have to work to a budget. Early Bird
> tickets are sold at a price which is (usually) below the marginal cost
> of an additional delegate. Most conference organisers have an Early
> Bird rate to attract their community, who in return for the reduced
> price are providing the startup funding for the conference, and
> supporting the organisers by trusting them to put on a good event
> when, for example, the schedule is still undetermined.
>
>> How a bout a fixed date before which
>> you can get the early bird tickets and after which you cannot?
>
> Because you would have no control over your budget.
>
> The procedure adopted by the EP2014 organisers is exactly what we used
> for EP2008, EP2009 and EP2010, and probably other EuroPythons, and
> still use for PyCon UK. It works.
>
>> We are
>> the early birds, here, paying attention to this list and still getting
>> frustrated because, judging by how fast the first batch was sold out,
>> we are going to have to enter a strong competition of hitting F5
>> faster than anyone so we can get the early bird ticket.
>
> It seems to me that the organisers have judged it just right, supply
> meeting truly early birds' demand. For those who were too slow on the
> uptake, they are making 50 more EB tickets, at the risk of damaging
> their budget control.
>>
>> This organisation method seems very unprofessional, and it seems to be
>> based on figuring things out as we go along.
>
> Now, I think that you are being insulting by using the word
> 'unprofessional'. If you had said 'non-professional' I would have said
> "Hurrah! You understand! You get it!" because the organisers are *not*
> professional, but volunteers, doing this for love of the community,
> "amateurs" in the true sense (lovers of what they do). Please show
> them some love and respect in return or you risk them losing their
> love.
>
>> Well, this is not the
>> first year the conference is held, why not use the expertise from
>> precious years? why this desire to do everything new and different? is
>> it trying to prove a point?
>
> I do agree that there is too little carry over between conferences,
> but hey we're all geeks and NIH does apply. The EPS tried to do
> something about this in 2008, unfortunately subsequent conference
> organisers have not followed the principles established then. Maybe we
> can try and fix this in July in Berlin (EPS Board, please note).
>
>> I signed up because I was in Pycon Ireland, thought it was great and
>> wanted to scale up, and I was very excited until I started to read all
>> about the organisation problems in this list.
>
> There is a degree of trolling, and you have not helped ;-)
>
>> Now I'm not sure I want
>> to go.
>
> Make sure you do, it will be good, and you will get the best EP beer
> since Charleroi :-)
>
>> I am always late for all conferences and for this one I
>> thought, okay, I'm going to be on top of this one, so much that I will
>> even get the early bird rate. Now turns out I have to have a virtual
>> competition on a week day at noon! to get that. Nah.
>>
>> Please, get your act together, this is nonsense.
>
> No! It isn't. Please calm down.
>
> Peace.
>
> John
> --
> (past EuroPython organiser and PyCon UK organiser, extreme Python
> aficionado, PSF Fellow).

Hi all,

After reading John Pinner's response to my email, and then carefully
re-reading mine from last night. I must admit that there was some
trolling involved and that I wasn't at my best with that email.

Therefore, I must apologise for my harsh tone, for venting my
frustration here on the list in a non-constructive way, and for
trolling.

With this I am not saying I take everything back, however. Early bird
tickets aside, it seems like there is simply too much controversy
around the organisation of the event. And again I'm sorry about my
contribution to it.

I also think that the general tone of discussion here has been at the
level of my email or even worse. I am not saying people should
apologise, this is my personal choice, but perhaps there are better
ways for the organisers to handle criticism from attendees. Don't get
me wrong, I know it must be hard to put a good face when you are
breaking your back and somebody calls your hard work unprofessional,
but I also think you should still try.

Kind regards,
Jacobo de Vera
http://www.jacobodevera.com
@jovianjake