Re: [Tccc] presentations by non-authors

Please see the following Letter-to-the-editor in the October issue of IEEE
Computer magazine.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rich Man's Conferences: Stop the Trend

The first sentence of the IEEE's "About Us" statement says, "A non-profit
organization, the IEEE is the world's leading professional association for
the advancement of technology."
International conferences are a vital tool for experts, visionaries,
professors, and students to get together and share their ideas and dreams,
helping to advance technology and share knowledge. However, I note that
recently the expenses for attending an IEEE conference have increased to the
degree that I cannot afford to do so.
Take as an example a 2009 IEEE conference for which the early-bird
registration fee is $822 for an IEEE member and $1,050 for a nonmember. The
hotel cost is $189 per night, and the conference lasts for five days. Thus,
the total cost just for the registration and the lodging would be $1,767.
Adding the airfare and incidental expenses, the total cost for me to attend
this conference would be about a month's salary. In some countries, this
cost could be the equivalent of two or three months' salary. As a result, it
is nearly impossible to attend without financial support.
Things were not always so expensive. Ten years ago, a typical registration
fee was about $400. Our salaries and the consumer price index did not double
in the past 10 years. What is the reason for increasing the registration fee
year after year? Soon, conferences will become a rich man's club. Only
people who live in countries with deep pockets will be able to afford to
attend. The internationality and diversity of these conferences will be
greatly diminished.
To rectify the situation, conferences should be returned to university
campuses where there are many classrooms that could be used as conference
rooms. The professors and students could help organize and provide services
for the conferences. Lodgings around universities typically are relatively
inexpensive. It would be possible to reduce the budget for holding
conferences and decrease the attendance fees.
The IEEE must do something to avoid making its conferences a rich man's
club. Otherwise, please remove the "non" from the "About Us" statement as it
seems very ironic these days.

----- Original Message -----
From: "SABU THAMPI" <smtlbs@gmail.com>
To: "Aiko Pras" <a.pras@utwente.nl>
Cc: <tccc@lists.cs.columbia.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 8:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Tccc] presentations by non-authors

> please do not forget the authors from third world countries. Most of the
> authors meet the expenses for registration from their pockets. How they
> can
> come and present their ideas in the Conference by taking money
> from their pockets for the journey and accommodation. The Government funds
> are very limited.
>
> Regards
>
> --
> Dr. Sabu M. Thampi, M.S, M.E., Ph.D
> Mob: +919447103005
> smtlbs@yahoo.co.in; smtlbs@gmail.com, smtlbs@in.com
> http://in.linkedin.com/pub/dr-sabu-m-thampi-ph-d/11/30/18a
> _______________________________________________
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> Tccc@lists.cs.columbia.edu
> https://lists.cs.columbia.edu/cucslists/listinfo/tccc

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