Re: easy CoC solution: permanently end in-person conference

[Paul Sutton]

On 04/04/2021 03:54, Thomas Lord wrote:
>       Good programmers inevitably learn, somewhere along the way, the
>       following lesson:
>       When you encounter a very hard problem to solve, don't spend all
>       your time just on the problem.  Also question whether it really
>       needs to be solved - or if a better approach avoids the problem in
>       the first place.
>       Libre Planet is built on the following intolerable premise: People
>       should fly from around the world to Boston, once a year, to connect
>       free software activists and enthusiasts in a social setting
>       conducive to sharing presentations, meeting, and having informal
>       discussions.
>       Only one part of that premise is no longer tolerable, at all, in
>       2021: the travel it requires.  Air travel is, with perhaps very rare
>       exceptions, wildly, intolerably socially irresponsible.  The rate 
at
>       which fossil fuel emissions must now fall is so rapid, it not
>       compatible with widespread air travel, and it is not compatible with
>       current levels of energy demand.
>       This same problem, in addition to the pandemic's discouragement of
>       large "meatspace" conferences, effects not only Libre Planet, but
>       everyone on the planet.  Few are no fly-in conferences are anything
>       but extremely irresponsible in 2021.  It's just a fact.
>
>     Image
>
>       It will be hard to replace the Libre Planet conference but perhaps
>       not *too* hard 64Good programmers inevitably learn, somewhere along
>       the way, the following lesson:
>       When you encounter a very hard problem to solve, don't spend all
>       your time just on the problem.  Also question whether it really
>       needs to be solved - or if a better approach avoids the problem in
>       the first place.
>       Libre Planet is built on the following intolerable premise: People
>       should fly from around the world to Boston, once a year, to connect
>       free software activists and enthusiasts in a social setting
>       conducive to sharing presentations, meeting, and having informal
>       discussions.
>       Only one part of that premise is no longer tolerable, at all, in
>       2021: the travel it requires.  Air travel is, with perhaps very rare
>       exceptions, wildly, intolerably socially irresponsible.  The rate 
at
>       which fossil fuel emissions must now fall is so rapid, it not
>       compatible with widespread air travel, and it is not compatible with
>       current levels of energy demand.
>       This same problem, in addition to the pandemic's discouragement of
>       large "meatspace" conferences, effects not only Libre Planet, but
>       everyone on the planet.  Few are no fly-in conferences are anything
>       but extremely irresponsible in 2021.  It's just a fact.
>       It will be hard to replace the Libre Planet conference but perhaps
>       not *too* hard.  We have software like jitsi.  We have telephony
>     systems.
>       So forth.
>       Perhaps Libre Planet should evolve into an annual "big event" online
>       but also an ongoing series of smaller online events.   I don't know.
>       People with a clearer picture of the needs should discuss that.
>       For now, it is enough to say that a conference premised on air-travel
>       is in and of itself an astonishing anti-social proposition in 2021,
>     and
>       from now on.
>       Of course online conferences also need behavioral guidelines, but
>       there is no point squabbling over those until we begin to have some
>       permanent online conference infrastructure in place.  And until that
>       infrastructure is in place, Libre Planet should do the right thing
>     and
>       take no further steps that would  encourage air travel.
>
>     -t

This appears to be more of a 'environmental' argument rather than a code 
of conduct argument.   But some good points are raised.

That aside, I think there is an element of meeting old / new friends at 
conferences, the positive relationships that form and opportunities that 
arise out of this can in some cases outweigh even the best conference 
speech.

The pandemic has caused a lot of problems,  in terms of isolation and 
mental health which has resulted by isolation.  People want to get back 
out and the human instinct is to be in groups.

I think there is scope for hybrid conferences,  but it would be nice to 
fly over.   If that isn't possible then what we have virtually works 
really well, so lets find ways to stream live conference talks at events.

Don't forget also that conferences are really valuable to local 
economies,  people using hotels,  visiting local shops, cafes bars, 
restaurants give local economies a real boost and esp when many have had 
to close for a year.    Without this these places would close, jobs 
would be lost.   If I fly over to Libreplanet in Boston from the UK, I 
would probably want to stay for a week, see the sighgts around boston. 
I would guess others  would look to do the same.

We get together in huge numbers to watch sport (e.g football, soccer 
baseball, etc) is that any different

I think you raise some good points, perhaps one topic could be 
sustainable travel , and we can find ways to get more public transport 
running on sustainable fuels for example, get software to help with 
ticketing as free software for example.

Paul

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