RE: Re[2]: The relevance of COMMON (was Penton to buy Duke - New

["Gary R. Patterson" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Eric,

I have been on all three sides of this one - I have been the programmer that
could not get my boss to send me, then the only one that ever got to go, and
now the business owner (and occasional speaker, along with NexSource
co-owner Kevin Vandever) who has to decide who to send.

I now understand why it is a difficult decision:

PRO
- Employee satisfaction
- Education = increased productivity/reduced learning curve (hopefully<g>)
- Wide range of education offerings under one roof (this is one of the
biggest benefits, in my book)
- Networking results in new technical contacts

CON
- Cost: $1000 registration, $500 hotel bill, $500 airfare, and $250-500 in
additional expenses for parking, cars, food, taxis, and phone bills PER
EMPLOYEE! (We are a training/consulting firm, so add in lost revenue.)
Payback is tough to nail down, too.  Does it pay for itself?  Over what
period?
- Many COMMOM speakers are not professional trainers, and some sessions are
of dubious technical value (based on personal experience)
- Networking results in increased recruiting
- Lack of support and project headaches back in the office (applies to all
off-site training, of course)

Don't get me wrong, I think COMMON is a very valuable resource.  They do a
great job with a tough task, and staffed by volunteers, no less.  I always
get a lot out of it when I attend (plus a few disappointments, but that is
the way of the world).  It is just a tough decision to make if it is your
money.

Gary R. Patterson
NexSource, Inc.

980 N Michigan Ave, Suite 1400
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 214-3526

640 W. Main St.
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 581-0106

Information technology services for business
http://www.nexsource.com



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
[mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of
eric.delong@pmsi-services.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2000 5:55 AM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re[2]: The relevance of COMMON (was Penton to buy Duke - New



     John,

     Y'all probably remember my rants about this from time to time these
     past few years, but I must reiterate my frustration with COMMON.
     I've never been to common, though I've wanted to for some time. To
     me, it seems the decision makers would rather send themselves (even
     though they are out of programming) than send the kid. Why invest
     in my education, when they can take a little vacation on the
     company's dime. They know I work hard to stay current on my own
     time, so why should they pay for it.

     Those who have the power/time/$$$ don't want to give it up. They
     DON'T want me networking (I might find a better opportunity).
     They're not even going to pay for LUG fees (for the same reasons).
     This has been the attitude at EVERY job I've worked for the last
     15+ years. I've come to expect this attitude, even though I
     certainly don't agree with it.

     My only solace is these resources hosted by David G. and a few
     online resources. Is it enough????????

     eric.delong@pmsi-services.com



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