On Aug 16, 2013, at 10:56 AM, Keith Moore
<moore(_at_)network-heretics(_dot_)com> wrote:
As someone who just spent $3.5K out of pocket to show up in Berlin, I have a
hard time being sympathetic to someone who won't participate because he has
to spend $100 out of pocket.
This isn't about "fairness" or equal-pain-for-all. It's about getting work
done and producing good output. Whether someone remote has to pay $0 or $1000
won't change your $3.5k out-of-pocket expense. If you don't feel the $3.5k was
worth it for you to go physically, don't go.
But let's say we go deploy some more tools for remote participants, and want to
subsidize that additional cost. Because making f2f folks pay out-of-pocket to
subsidize remote participants reduces the incentive for them to come
physically, I suggested we have a 'Self-paying Rate' category or check-box in
the registration form page that removes any new additional remote-participant
subsidy from the reg-fee cost. Those of us who can expense the reg-fee won't
select that, and can expense the new full amount.[1] Nothing on the badges or
attendee list or whatever would show any difference... it's purely a
registration form/receipt thing.
[Fwiw, I think people still get their money's worth to go, though $3.5k is
pushing it. I assume it was that high for you because you're in the US and it
was quite expensive to fly there - I find US-based f2f meetings are far cheaper
for US folks, but I assume they're more expensive for non-US folks so in that
sense it's good we rotate meeting locations.]
-hadriel
[1] Sure some people may claim Self-Paying status even when expensing their
fee, but that's ok so long as many people pay the full amount. Speaking just
for myself, every employer I've worked at so far would have paid the full
amount - it just can't be an opt-in to pay more, nor look like we're 'donating'
or stuff like that. It's got to be a 'Regular Rate' or some such for our
receipts, while the other type says 'Self-Paying Rate' or some such on their
receipts. And it can't be like $1000 more, but $100 is reasonable.