[HPCC-Conf] do not go gentle

[Joseph K. Horn]

Jeremy wrote:

> Nice!  A flame-fest.  How cool is that!

Oops... wasn't supposed to become one...

> ... Joe 'LOADED questions' Horn ...

Sorry, the question wasn't intended to be "loaded".  I seriously want to =
know the answer.  You see, all these years I've thought that these =
"conferences" were gatherings of an INTERNATIONAL club founded by =
Richard Nelson (PPC), hosted by a pseudo-random city each year for two =
reasons: (1) So that those who cannot travel far could at least attend =
the ones close to them, and (2) so that the attendees could see new =
places and grow in cultural awareness and all that sort of happy crap.  =
I really had thought that it was similar to the way our local "PPC =
chapter" meetings are *hosted* by random volunteer members of the group, =
not for the sake of THAT member, but for the benefit of EVERYBODY who =
attends.  Of course, THAT member gets the benefit of being able to =
attend without leaving home, BUT he incurs the necessary tasks that are =
performed by any gracious host.  So it's a trade-off, and strictly a =
volunteer thing, and it's always greatly appreciated by everybody.

BUT... I started to get the distinct impression that HHC 2002 was not =
like that at all, but was in actuality just a well-publicised meeting of =
the London "chapter", held by them FOR themselves, and to which people =
who were not members of THAT CHAPTER were begrudgingly invited, and at =
best *tolerated* like some kind of Unwanted Outsiders.  Since every =
local chapter has every right to have whatever kind of meetings it =
wants, such a thing is not outside the realm of possibility or even =
reasonableness, but it had never crossed my mind that HHC 2002 was =
ANYTHING like that.

So I asked.  Was HHC 2002 an INTERNATIONAL conference HOSTED by HPCC, or =
was it an HPCC meeting which some non-members paid to observe?

I still haven't gotten a clear answer, by the way.  The answer, of =
course, to be acceptable, would have to be consistent with the mind of =
the entire organizing committee of HHC 2002.  Anything else is merely =
personal opinion, which (as Tony pointed out) can be seen to be the same =
as "The Truth" only in hindsight.

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, the answer (whatever it turns =
out to be) will have a huge impact on all future HHC's, if there are =
any.

-Joe-