RE: COMMON in San Antonio (fwd)

I would like to receive a copy of the CD-ROM when I pay  for the 
conference.  This way I could review the handouts and print the one's I 
thought I would need a hard copy of before I went to the sessions.


>From: Bob Cozzi <BobCozzi@ibm.net>
>To: "'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'" <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
>Subject: RE: COMMON in San Antonio (fwd)
>Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 09:00:18 -0500
>
>Charlie,
>
>While I agree that we often do need to have the hand-out in front of us 
for 
>certain highly technical sessions, like some of yours, one or two of 
>Barsa's and some of the Client Server stuff I think the practice of 
putting 
>the majority on CD-ROM _in stead of printing them_ is the direction in 
>which we want to move. This is, by the way, a personal opinion, not 
>anything I've heard about at COMMON.
>
>I've attended non-IBM conferences and most have moved to CD-ROM only 
hand 
>outs. If there is a session where there's something that needs 
hard-copy in 
>the hands of the attendees, then they pass it out at the session. Since 
>it's also on the CD-ROM, 5000 printed copies, of which 4900 are 
disposed 
>of, are not required.
>
>Survey's only show so much. Most of the COMMON surveys that I've read, 
were 
>extremely poorly worded, scaled backwards, and repetitive. While I 
still 
>think you can get something out of them, I think the results of COMMON 
>survey's have often been meaningless.
>
>Take the issue of 1 hour sessions vs. 1.5 hour sessions. Nearly every 
>speaker I talk with wants the 1.5 hour format. It provides time for 
>questions, a short break if needed, and more time for the topic should 
it 
>run over. The current 1 hour format is to short for a good topic, and 
too 
>long for others. The 20 minute break is interesting too, in that it 
causes 
>us to start at the strangest possible time during the hour. I think the 
>survey for this topic really showed that people want a big variety of 
>sessions. I know most people don't have more than a 45-minute attention 
>span, but if you plane for that, with a minute or two break in your 
>session, the 1.5 hour format works wonderfully, I think.
>
>
>I think it may be a comfort level too. I mean, if you get comfortable 
using 
>a CD-ROM to read materials on-line, and perhaps you bring it to the 
session 
>and load up the sessions hand-outs, it works very good.
>
>The only issue we, as COMMON, has is that we still don't set up every 
room 
>in classroom style. We still use theater style for 90 percent of the 
>sessions. CD-ROM only hand-outs means they'll be note taking. You 
really 
>should have a table in front of you for that. (I like that set up 
better 
>anyway.)
>
>But who knows, perhaps we'll be pumping out copy after copy forever. If 
>that's the case, then so be it. I'd just like to see us reduce the 
waste 
>and the cost.  You can always print a copy from your CD-ROM if you need 
>hard copy.
>
>Bob Cozzi
>Bob@RPGIV.COM
>www.rpgiv.com
>AS/400 Books:  http://www.rpgiv.com/as400Books.html
>
>
>On Wednesday, September 10, 1997 9:27 PM, Charlie Massoglia 
>[SMTP:cmassoglia@voyager.net] wrote:
>> Bob Cozzi wrote:
>> >
>> >I can, however, see the day where hard-copy hand-outs are a 
chargeable
>> >item. While there is currently know plans nor is there even a 
discussion 
>of
>> >it that I'm aware of, why continue to print millions of copies that 
end 
>up
>> >in the garbage or on a shelf? Why not just go to CD-ROM as the base
>> >hand-out and charge an extra fee of, say $50 to $100 for hard copy 
of 
>the
>> >hand outs. Remember, with the CD-ROM, you can print your own copies.
>> >
>> The reason attendees need to have hard copy handouts is to take notes 
in
>> context.  When you take a session chock full of information (e.g. an 
Al
>> Barsa System Values session), you can not possibly keep up with the 
>speaker
>> without having a handout on which to take notes.  In addition, it is
>> virtually impossible to see the screens clearly in some of the larger 
>rooms.
>>
>> Remember, COMMON previously did a survey of the membership in which 
the
>> overwhelming majority indicated they wanted handouts for sessions at 
the
>> sessions even if it meant increasing the registration fee by $50.  
The 
>lack
>> of handouts (or having to pay for them) is a frequent criticism at 
COMMON
>> Regional Events.  I sincerely hope noone makes the decision to 
eliminate
>> handouts at COMMON conferences or to charge for the handouts 
separately
>> without a formal survey of the membership.  If you think the reaction 
to
>> charging for drinks at CUDS was bad, that reaction will be mild in
>> comparison to what will happen if anyone messes with copies at the 
>conference.
>>
>> As a side comment regarding the previous discussion of advertising in 
the
>> agenda, while I personally do not like the idea, COMMON previously 
did a
>> survey of the membership in which the overwhelming majority indicated 
>they
>> wanted COMMON to sell advertising if it would reduce or prevent 
increases 
>in
>> the conference registration fee.  The action take by the Board to 
permit
>> advertising is not only in accordance with the Code of Ethics, it was 
>also
>> in accordance with the wishes of the majority of COMMON members.
>>
>>
>> Charlie Massoglia, Massoglia Technical Consulting, Inc.
>
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