[Foss4g2009] Confused about workshop registration fee

[Volker Mische]

Mark Leslie wrote:
> Thierry Badard wrote:
>> Tim Schaub a écrit :
>>> Hey-
>>>
>>> Jeff McKenna wrote:
>>>> Roald de Wit wrote:
>>>>> Hi list,
>>>>>
>>>>> I was just about to register for the conference and was confronted
>>>>> with the question whether or not to pay the registration fee for
>>>>> the workshops. I will be co-hosting an accepted workshop, by being
>>>>> the assistant.
>>>>>
>>>>> My questions are:
>>>>> - When you are a co-host of a workshop, do you have to pay to
>>>>> attend that workshop?
>>>>> - We had an offer from somebody else to help out by providing
>>>>> assistance during the workshop. What about this person?
>>>>> - When I want to visit 1 or 2 other workshops, do I have to pay the
>>>>> fee (being a co-host) for another workshop?
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm sure there must be a section on the site that covers this, but
>>>>> I couldn't find it.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hello Roald,
>>>>
>>>> You should have received an email from Mark Leslie (I've included
>>>> the email below) explaining workshop registration.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I received the same email, just reviewed it, and am left wondering
>>> the same.  If someone is co-presenting a workshop, do they need to
>>> pay for workshop registration?  I would assume not?
>>>
>>> My read of the email from Mark is that there is one free *conference*
>>> registration per workshop (though it says workshop registration).  I
>>> understand that only one presenter per workshop gets the registration
>>> to the conference waived.  Roald's (and my) questions are about
>>> getting co-presenters a pass to the workshop only (not the rest of
>>> the conference).
>>>
>>> Last year, we had great success with the OpenLayers workshop because
>>> 10 or so developers and power-users volunteered to help out with the
>>> workshop.  Their assistance (walking around the crowd and answering
>>> questions) was invaluable.  In addition to a co-presenter, will there
>>> be any way to get additional volunteers a pass to a specific workshop?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Tim
>>>
>>>> -jeff
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Some replies seem to be available at:
>>
>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2009_Discounts#Workshop_Instructors
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Th.
>>
> 
> From the stand-point of registering, you aren't registering for
> workshops, so you don't need to sign up for those.  That's for actual
> seats at the workshop.  I've passed along the names of all the free
> conference passes on, as well as all those currently slated to be
> helping out.  I see no reason you couldn't sign up to attend a workshop
> that doesn't overlap your own if you like, but you will be charged for
> it.  Where things are a bit fuzzy right now are for volunteers that
> _are_not_ listed on the workshop submissions.
> 
> The issue here is that it's not actually free to have people there.
> There's administrative and feeding costs involved, which are
> non-trivial.  Having 5 assistants for each workshop would appreciably
> increase our costs.  Charging them for volunteering doesn't seem quite
> right.  Getting them nametags identifying them as do-not-feeds would
> reduce the costs to admin only, but isn't a nice "thank-you for
> helping".  I'm open to other suggestions.
> 
> Mark Leslie
> Geospatial Software Architect
> LISAsoft
> 

I can only speak for myself, but I'd be happy with a do-not-feed
nametag. I'm around any way, so why shouldn't I help out in workshops
where I have the skills to help. I live in open source spirit, I don't
need a "thank-you for helping" as long as I don't have to pay for it.

Cheers,
  Volker