Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!limbo!taylor
From: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com (Dave Taylor)
Newsgroups: comp.org.sug
Subject: Re: Sun User Group Exhibit Only Fee
Message-ID: <1375@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Date: 22 Oct 90 17:42:41 GMT
References: <1990Oct19.152134.22517@world.std.com>
Reply-To: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com (Dave Taylor)
Organization: Intuitive Systems, Mountain View, CA: +1 (415) 966-1151
Lines: 30

Peter Salus notes:

>(3) Dan may feel the fees [at SUG] are extravagant, but the tutorials are 
> the same as those at Sun Expo and less than those at USENIX or UNIX Expo.

It's worth pointing out that at least SunExpo and UNIX Expo are
commercial ventures by commercial corporations, and so are required
to make a profit to continue their existance.  Surely that changes the
economics of how much a tutorial costs?  

Further, profit should come from the vendors, not the attendees, anyway, 
in my opinion.

The other side of the coin here too is how much are tutorial speakers
paid to give talks?  Some of the best tutorials I've been two were
given by relatively neophyte tutorial speakers who really knew their
subjects, and the all time worst tutorial I attended (for about twenty
minutes before I walked out in disgust) was by someone that appears to
be a 'professional tutorial presenter' who is still 'on the circuit'.
Typical fees for a speaker are $1000 / day + board...

I agree that SUG seems a bit expensive for a small users group meeting,
but then again, I think SUG is an excellent users group (modulo the 
apalling politics and its peculiar relationship with Sun itself)

						-- Dave Taylor

						Editor at Large
						SunTech Journal
taylor@intuitive.com