RE: COMMON Question Was: Congrads John Earl!

> Attendance has dropped in recent
> years, but I don't think that we have a clear idea as to why.  So allow me
> to conduct a non-scientific poll.  Could you please take the time to
> answer
> the brief questionnaire below?
> 
> 
> True, False or Not-Applicable (T/F/N):  
> I have attended at least one COMMON conference since January of 2002.
        [Smith, Nelson]  F       

> I thought that the COMMON conference was a good value for the money spent.
        [Smith, Nelson]  N       

> I thought that the COMMON conference was a good value for the time spent.
        [Smith, Nelson]  N 

> I would attend another COMMON conference.
        [Smith, Nelson]  T 


> Multiple Choice:
> What is the biggest impediment to you attending COMMON conferences? (Feel
> free to rank them if you like).
>    A) Monetary Cost
>    B) Time Cost
>    C) Can't get management approval
>    D) Traveling is a hassle
>    E) I don't learn anything
>    F) The sessions aren't relevant to what I do today 
>    G) There is another conference I'd much rather attend (Name it?)
>    H) Other _____________________________________________________
        [Smith, Nelson]  A & C.  None of the others have ever been true.  

        I've been to some 19 conferences in the past 20 years.  A big crowd
was 600, when I first started.  If my employer wouldn't send me, I could
often afford to pay my own way (if the conference was anywhere within a
reasonable driving distance), but now it's gotten just too expensive.  I
live just an hour and a half from Orlando, and could commute, but I just
can't afford the registration costs anymore.  I realize it's still a great
deal compared to the costs of other conferences, but they have all gotten
out of hand, in my view.  

        Another factor is competition.  When I first started going, there
was no where else to get solid technical information. At COMMON, most of it
was from other users.  Now, you won't find very many Joe Users giving
sessions and we're got more information than we can get to coming at us from
websites, newsgroups, vendors, etc.  

        I also think it's gotten so "Professional" and "Polished" that it
tends to turn off the rank & file volunteers. Everyone thinks, "They've
already got someone doing this job much better than I could ever do, so I'll
just let the pro's handle it."  As much as we used to complain about getting
handouts on time, etc, etc, I think it was actually more fun back then.     

> I appreciate any feedback that you can provide,
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> jte
> 
> 
> 


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