Usenix Meetings

[utzoo!utcsstat!bob]

                         USENIX MEETINGS

    I too went to the Usenix meeting at Santa Monica and I  agree
with  genradbo!rob (sorry I don't know your name) that there were
some bad sessions and that most were one-way.

    I also understand that there were sessions cut because  there
wasn't  enough  time. 15 minutes is barely enough time to present
material let alone have a meaning full Q&A.

    I just finished a year of planning for a DECUS Symposium.  We
only  had  around  500  people but had multiple streams. The last
Usenix had around 1000 people and one stream. I really feel  that
this  one  stream approach is extremely limiting. Usenix is going
to keep growing. It will become harder and harder to find places,
good places, to hold the conferences. The Austin conference had a
good theater in which to hold the conference. In Santa Monica  if
you  were more that half way back it became very difficult to see
the screen. The roof was to low to raise the to screen higher.

    Surely it is possible to develop multiple streams. This would
make the number of people attending various sessions more manage-
able. It would also make for longer sessions, say 30-45  minutes,
during  which  questions  could be asked while the information is
fresh. There could be Q&A sessions  on  4.1bsd,  2.8bsd  etc.  At
Decus  we  ran  45  minute  sessions in the morning that could be
grouped into one 1.5 hour session and in the afternoon we  ran  1
hour sessions that could be grouped into a 2 hour session.

    I would be interested in hearing  how  YOU  feel  about  this
matter.   Are  you  pleased  with  the single stream system? What
about planners for Boston, Toronto and San Diago  have  you  con-
sidered  this  and  what are your feelings? What about people who
have given presentations?

          Bob Lawson   U of Toronto Computing Services
              ...decvax!utzoo!utcsrgv!utcstvax!bob
                               or
              ...decvax!utzoo!utcsrgv!utcsstat!bob