During and after this year's successful conference, a number of suggestions were made to organisers about the way in which the next NZNOG conference could be organised. After consideration of a number of generous offers to host the conference, the organising committee have opted to retain a stand-alone conference structure, but once again to try a new venue. Next year's New Zealand Network Operators' Group Conference is scheduled to run from 31 January to 2 February 2007 in Palmerston North. Our hosts are Inspire.net (http://www.inspire.net.nz/) . This will be the first time the conference has been in Palmerston North, and the first time we've been hosted by an ISP. The venue is to be at Massey University's campus. A Call for Presenters should be issued later this month. Please form an orderly queue ... - Donald Neal Donald Neal |"I can marry anyone I please! The Support Engineer |trouble is, I don't please NGN Operations |anybody." - Waldorf T. Flywheel Integration & Services Division +----------------------------------- Alcatel NZ Ltd - Telecom's network operations manager This communication, including any attachments, is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not read it - please contact me immediately, destroy it, and do not copy or use any part of this communication or disclose anything about it. Thank you. Please note that this communication does not designate an information system for the purposes of the Electronic Transactions Act 2002.
Thanks Donald. I may be a wee voice in the crowd, but I'd like to complain about the date selection. I realise that there's NANOG timing conflicts and Uni space is cheap at that time of year etc etc, and there's a vast array of circus ponies to corral, but of the 12 months in the year why does it need to be January/February? Cheers Jamie On Thu, 2006-08-24 at 11:29 +1200, Donald Neal wrote:
During and after this year's successful conference, a number of suggestions were made to organisers about the way in which the next NZNOG conference could be organised. After consideration of a number of generous offers to host the conference, the organising committee have opted to retain a stand-alone conference structure, but once again to try a new venue.
Next year's New Zealand Network Operators' Group Conference is scheduled to run from 31 January to 2 February 2007 in Palmerston North. Our hosts are Inspire.net (http://www.inspire.net.nz/) . This will be the first time the conference has been in Palmerston North, and the first time we've been hosted by an ISP.
The venue is to be at Massey University's campus.
A Call for Presenters should be issued later this month. Please form an orderly queue ...
- Donald Neal
Donald Neal |"I can marry anyone I please! The Support Engineer |trouble is, I don't please NGN Operations |anybody." - Waldorf T. Flywheel Integration & Services Division +----------------------------------- Alcatel NZ Ltd - Telecom's network operations manager
This communication, including any attachments, is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not read it - please contact me immediately, destroy it, and do not copy or use any part of this communication or disclose anything about it. Thank you. Please note that this communication does not designate an information system for the purposes of the Electronic Transactions Act 2002.
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On 24-Aug-2006, at 07:00, Jamie Baddeley wrote:
I may be a wee voice in the crowd, but I'd like to complain about the date selection. I realise that there's NANOG timing conflicts and Uni space is cheap at that time of year etc etc, and there's a vast array of circus ponies to corral, but of the 12 months in the year why does it need to be January/February?
So, what is your actual complaint about January/February? Joe
On Thu, 24 Aug 2006, Jamie Baddeley wrote:
I may be a wee voice in the crowd, but I'd like to complain about the date selection. I realise that there's NANOG timing conflicts and Uni space is cheap at that time of year etc etc, and there's a vast array of circus ponies to corral, but of the 12 months in the year why does it need to be January/February?
Uni space being available and cheap is actually a big factor. Just about any other venue will want to charge us a lot more for the venue *and* they will require us to use them for catering and the like ( At least $40 per head per day for coffee, snacks and lunch). Having University halls available also means that people can (if they want) stay close to the venue for ~$50 per day rather than at least twice that in hotels. Also little things like Universities have fatish Internet links ( NGN might even be live in Massey by then? ) and staff who are used to "informal" student types rather than suits. Have a look at http://ws.edu.isoc.org/calendar/index.php for some background on the exact date. Early January is holidays, mid January clashes with SANOG. Early February is NANOG. Mid-February (before APRICOT) might have been an option but it depends a bit on exactly when the University starts going live for the year. Any later than that and we start squeezing into University Holidays (and Halls are not an option). Please remember that NZNOG *is* a fairly low cost conference and we recognise that price is an important factor for many participants. NZNOG 2006 it wasn't in January/February so it doesn't happen then every time. Seriously though it *is* a bit late to post this now since everything is booked and announced. As Joe suggests could you expand your argument a little so it can be taken into account in future. However other than the date and venue things are still pretty open if people have opinions on the event and what they would/would not like to see. Personally I'm going for lightning talks at a time other than first thing in the morning after the conference dinner. Disclaimer: Speaking for myself (ignore the "we" word) as somebody who has been on the org lists for a couple of years. YMMV, IMHO, IANAL etc. If another organiser says something different they are probably correct. -- Simon J. Lyall | Very Busy | Web: http://www.darkmere.gen.nz/ "To stay awake all night adds a day to your life" - Stilgar | eMT.
On Fri, 2006-08-25 at 02:15 +1200, Simon Lyall wrote:
On Thu, 24 Aug 2006, Jamie Baddeley wrote:
I may be a wee voice in the crowd, but I'd like to complain about the date selection. I realise that there's NANOG timing conflicts and Uni space is cheap at that time of year etc etc, and there's a vast array of circus ponies to corral, but of the 12 months in the year why does it need to be January/February?
Uni space being available and cheap is actually a big factor. Just about any other venue will want to charge us a lot more for the venue *and* they will require us to use them for catering and the like ( At least $40 per head per day for coffee, snacks and lunch). Having University halls available also means that people can (if they want) stay close to the venue for ~$50 per day rather than at least twice that in hotels.
Also little things like Universities have fatish Internet links ( NGN might even be live in Massey by then? ) and staff who are used to "informal" student types rather than suits.
I've no issue with the location nor the rationale.
Have a look at http://ws.edu.isoc.org/calendar/index.php for some background on the exact date. Early January is holidays, mid January clashes with SANOG. Early February is NANOG. Mid-February (before APRICOT) might have been an option but it depends a bit on exactly when the University starts going live for the year. Any later than that and we start squeezing into University Holidays (and Halls are not an option).
Please remember that NZNOG *is* a fairly low cost conference and we recognise that price is an important factor for many participants.
NZNOG 2006 it wasn't in January/February so it doesn't happen then every time. Seriously though it *is* a bit late to post this now since everything is booked and announced. As Joe suggests could you expand your argument a little so it can be taken into account in future.
Yep, and the original timing posed by Donald in his email of the 1st was good by me. The shift of a week pushed it into my holiday time, and it occurred to me that I might not be the only one, especially as many who are involved with keeping the rubber band on the Interweb tend to stagger time off around that time of year (or at least are busy putting out fires/catching up after the break). It's a particular shame for me as I'd planned to present a paper this year. Nevermind.
However other than the date and venue
Sure, I realised this, but consider my grumble lodged, and a humble request to the Organising Team to consider a shift to something mid-year perhaps. What ever time you choose there are going to be casualties, but I suspect that moving it away from Summer Holidays etc will result in less grumbles? Cheers Jamie
Jamie,
On Thu, 24 Aug 2006, Jamie Baddeley wrote: The shift of a week pushed it into my holiday time, and it occurred to me that I might not be the only one, especially as many who are involved with keeping the rubber band on the Interweb tend to stagger time off around that time of year (or at least are busy putting out fires/catching up after the break). It's a particular shame for me as I'd planned to present a paper this year. Nevermind.
Thanks for the feedback. I don't share this particular view, partly because holding the conference at a time when enginering staff were likely to be off work sounds to me like a good idea. And while we do avoid early January, any catching up where I work is done well before the 30th. And this is the first time we've tried Palmerston North. We know the kind of turnout we can expect in Hamilton at that time of year, but don't yet know what effect the relative attractiveness of Palmerston North will have. I'd have been nervous about trying a new location and a new time of year both at once. That probably won't be an issue in working out what to do after February 2007, though. - Donald Neal Donald Neal |"I can marry anyone I please! The Support Engineer |trouble is, I don't please NGN Operations |anybody." - Waldorf T. Flywheel Integration & Services Division +----------------------------------- Alcatel NZ Ltd - Telecom's network operations manager This communication, including any attachments, is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not read it - please contact me immediately, destroy it, and do not copy or use any part of this communication or disclose anything about it. Thank you. Please note that this communication does not designate an information system for the purposes of the Electronic Transactions Act 2002.
Donald Neal wrote:
I don't share this particular view, partly because holding the conference at a time when enginering staff were likely to be off work sounds to me like a good idea.
That depends on whether you regard going to NZNOG as a recreational activity or actually part of your working life, in terms of skills development. If the former, I share your mild concern about the attractiveness of Palmy as a venue as, while it's a fine town in its own right, it's not somewhere I'd choose to take the wife while on holiday - especially if I'm in sessions all day and unable to share the attractions with her. If the latter, Palmy is an excellent choice as the distraction level is potentially lower (except for self-induced distractions). Cheers Mark Harris (erstwhile native of Feilding)
Donald Neal wrote:
I don't share this particular view, partly because holding the conference at a time when enginering staff were likely to
be off work
sounds to me like a good idea.
That depends on whether you regard going to NZNOG as a recreational activity or actually part of your working life, in terms of skills development.
I don't see that distinction as important _for this purpose_. I see it as largely a question of when people can be spared from rosters. If they aren't required to keep the rubber band in place that week, it's a better week than many.
Mark Harris (erstwhile native of Feilding)
Eh? Where? :{)* - Donald Neal Donald Neal |"I can marry anyone I please! The Support Engineer |trouble is, I don't please NGN Operations |anybody." - Waldorf T. Flywheel Integration & Services Division +----------------------------------- Alcatel NZ Ltd - Telecom's network operations manager This communication, including any attachments, is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not read it - please contact me immediately, destroy it, and do not copy or use any part of this communication or disclose anything about it. Thank you. Please note that this communication does not designate an information system for the purposes of the Electronic Transactions Act 2002.
Donald Neal wrote:
I don't see that distinction as important _for this purpose_. I see it as largely a question of when people can be spared from rosters. If they aren't required to keep the rubber band in place that week, it's a better week than many.
That's an employer POV. I think Jamie's point was that knackered geeks might be taking the only chance they get for a summer holiday at that point. Sitting in semi-darkened rooms drinking at the well of knowledge might be a holiday for some, but not all
Mark Harris (erstwhile native of Feilding)
Eh? Where? :{)*
lat=-40.223591, lon=175.558105 (according to Google Earth) :-p
participants (6)
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Donald Neal -
jamie baddeley -
Jamie Baddeley
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Joe Abley -
Mark Harris -
Simon Lyall