Re: GUADEC registration fee

[Thomas Vander Stichele <thomas apestaart org>]

Hi,


> To me Guadec is a meeting to get together and discuss the future
> development of GNOME. It's also (probably more important) a place to get
> together, share a few beers and get to know the persons behind the IRC
> nicks and email addresses. 

I agree with this - we want to get as many of the *volunteers* in as
possible, combined with the people that spend just a bit more of their
free time than average, or even those lucky/crazy enough to have taken
on a job involving GNOME.

> I can understand a fee if we can't get enough money to make it go break
> even but it has to be clear that this is the reason for the fee and not
> a way to milk the corporations of money. 

I guess my feeling is that it is very unfortunate that this fee is being
introduced in the same year as a GUADEC being held in a fairly expensive
location to both get to, stay in, and go out in.  The two combined makes
it really hard not to somewhat complain about the fee.

I guess I don't mind the "hobbyist" fee at all, it's a small price to
pay for some and I would gladly pay it under any circumstances.  But if
"corporate" fees apply to all people that just happen to work for a
company, it's too much.

Also, I'd really like GUADEC to go back to easy-to-reach and
not-too-expensive locations.  Having to take three plane flights from a
very well-connected European city might indicate it's hard to get there.

In my mind it would be nice if there was an equivalent of the Boston
Gnome summit, either at GUADEC or at some other point in the year - just
get together, minimal costs, and focus on getting people to present to
each other and discuss with each other.  While I understand the need for
corporate sponsorship, breaking even, and so on, to me it's much more
important that we keep the barrier low for other people.

Last year someone sold a laptop to get there.  Let's not get people to
sell their kidney this year :)

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