Author: Bruce Moreland
Date: 00:33:25 04/29/00
Go up one level in this thread
On April 29, 2000 at 01:23:26, Robert Hyatt wrote: >That is _really_ short-sighted. When my doctor fails to keep an appointment, >because he had to go to emergency surgery, I don't weight that patient's >importance vs mine. I assume we are _both_ important. I believe his code >of ethics (and the oath he takes when graduating from med school) dictates >this behavior. You clearly don't have Group Health, not to divert the issue. >I have played in over 20 ACM events. Rebel played in several. I have _never_ >encountered Ed. I have _never_ assumed he thought his time was more valuable >than mine. I did assume that he either (a) didn't have the time; (b) didn't >want to spend the money; (c) some other reason that I didn't know about and >didn't care about. > >I think it is a _wild_ stretch to think anyone says "Hmmm... my time is >more valuable than Moreland's, and I am not going to waste any going to this >event in person." > >I have given my reasons for not going. There are 2. Expense and Time. I also >have a responsibility to students in my classes. I don't think it reasonable >in a 9 week term to take off for over 1 week, and dump class. I have played in >so many computer chess events, the 'magic' is gone. And I can dispassionately >assess the gains vs the cost and make a decision of whether I want to spend >at least a couple of grand going to Europe for over a week, or would I rather >spend that same time with my family in Disney World, or whatever. The decision >is not hard to make. > >And it has _nothing_ to do with whether I think my time is more valuable or >less valuable than yours. It is about what I perceive my responsibilities and >obligations to be. Factored in with some simple financial analysis. [snip] >I don't _ever_ remember anyone saying they were personally insulted/offended >when a primary author didn't/couldn't show up. We were so busy tweaking the >book between rounds that it didn't cause a second thought. I see your point, and I think that your case is especially difficult, because in many cases you could not go even if you wanted to. I still think that continued absence of some people erodes the event. The presence of primary authors makes the event nicer for everyone. I would like to point, for example, to Frans Morsch. He's been to every event I've been to, and while I doubt that I would have gotten much info out of him had I tried to get him to talk, it is nice that he is there. If he stops going and Fritz is run by some random person nobody knows, the event is diminished. If there is ever a point where the event is just the ICCA officials and 24 anonymous operators, it would be pointless to go, either to participate in person or to spectate. bruce
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