RE: common

[Alan Schuetze <aschuetze@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

After reading this thread and remembering the Fall98 registration
nightmare, I checked on my early-bird discount online registration and
found that they have no record of my registration that was taken over
three weeks ago.

I reregistered by fax and demanded my online discount.

If you haven't received your confirmation I'd check with them. 800 270
8223

Regards,

Alan Schuetze
Magellan Software

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   DAsmussen@aol.com [SMTP:DAsmussen@aol.com]
        Sent:   Tuesday, February 09, 1999 10:27 PM
        To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
        Subject:        Re: common

        Al,

        In a message dated 99-02-09 11:39:27 EST, you write:

        > >Sorry for such an ignorant question, what days is COMMON in
SF.  Since I am
        >  >not going I wasn't paying too much attention, however one of
my clients
        >  >would like to go.
        >  
        >  Responding publicly, because this is probably important to
the list.
        >  
        >  COMMON is in SF Monday March 8 through Friday March 12.  Note
that Sunday
        >  March 7 is an Expo day, so many attendees like to fly in on
Saturday night
        >  (lower airfare).  

        Possibly lower airfare, but this will probably be my _LAST_ west
coast COMMON.
        For not much more, I could have gone to the Australasia
conference , met more
        new people, visited a new country that my wife and I have always
wanted to
        see, and not spent a whole heck of a lot more time in the air
(let alone not
        connect through Chi-town in the Winter).  SF is costing more
than _twice_ what
        NO did _last_ Spring, and most of that is the new registration
fee and
        airfare.  I am _NOT_ happy about the registration fee increase,
_especially_
        with the purported "discount" via the web site being based
against a fee that
        is so much higher than last year and a virtually _decimated_
guest program.

        In fact, this may be my last Common ever, my fees given over to
locally
        presented seminars and the AS/400 Technical Conference for
continuing
        education.  Yes, I _could_ put together a course and take the
perks offered
        presenters, but who wants to perpetuate a system that makes even
well-paid
        independents reconsider their membership because of high fees
and a constantly
        decreasing level of service?  No guest program, pay for drinks
at CUDS while
        still getting chips (no dip) as food, lousy airfare and hotel
discounts, an
        increasingly incompetent housing bureau, sporadic CD
presentation, and
        selective enforcement of the "Code of Ethics" have been the
hallmarks of
        recent conferences.  Is this just _MY_ perception, or does
anyone else feel
        the same way?

        >  Also note that Friday is a very lite day with only three
hours of sessions
        >  scheduled.  COMMON has developed a (very stupid) tradition of
making
        >  Fridays lite, and as a result, I am no longer willing to do
Friday
        sessions.

        AMEN!  This speaks to my above gripe about "value provided".
The fee keeps
        going up, but I remember when you griped because you had a two
o'clock flight
        on Friday and were going to miss something.  Today, 2/3's of the
available
        Friday courses are scheduled during the closing session.
Touring is good, but
        do it on your own time.  Common seems to be providing too much
of the latter
        of late...

        JMHO,

        Dean Asmussen
        Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
        Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
        E-Mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

        "The only stupid question is the one you were too proud to ask."
-- ME
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