[LGM] Request For Comments - reorganizing financial tasks for LGM

[Jehan Pagès]

Hi,

On Sat, May 21, 2016 at 1:31 AM, Simon Budig <simon at budig.de> wrote:
> Dave Crossland (dave at lab6.com) wrote:
>> On 20 May 2016 at 18:47, Simon Budig <simon at budig.de> wrote:
>>
>> > I wish I could provide some more input on
>> > how-to-get-more-money - but I fail at that even on a very local level
>> > with our local hackspace
>>
>> You imply that people who do not pay would be excluded; but what if the
>> only difference between paid members of an lgm 'members club' and a
>> walk-in-off-the-street is the color of the event t shirt they may obtain?
>
> If this would be the only difference I'd feel ripped of as a paying
> member...   :)
>
> Yes, I probably have painted a bit too black picture of the situation.
> However, making a distinction between (paying) members and (non-paying)
> attendees would still create two classes of people at the conference,
> even emphasized explicitely by different t-shirt colors. I don't like
> that. I realize that the idea of being peers among each other is a bit
> idealistic (we old farts certainly have a different standing than some
> newbie with no project to show off), but I think it is an idea worth
> pursuing.

I'd like to say that I am 100% agreeing with Simon's point of view.
I have an unstable situation, and every year, coming for ~ 2 weeks to
LGM costs me more financially that 3 months of usual day-to-day
living, even with GIMP sponsorship (because of various locale
transportations, food, etc.)! I used to have a good salary, but this
is not the case now, and at times, my situation is even close to being
homeless. No jokes here. Of course, this is entirely by choice. I am
trying new stuff in life and am not complaining at all. I only want to
state that not all people in LGM are in wealthy situation and could
pay easily any attendance fee.

Thus if we had to pay for LGM, I doubt I would come back either. Also
it would change the event at its core. I love LGM because of what it
is, of its openness to anyone (not just corporations), and everything.
If it becomes a paid event (as many others), the attendees would be
very different, and not necessarily of the kind I love, I am fearing.

Also yes, making a distinction between paying and non-paying attendees
is not a happy feeling as well. Not only for the non-paying ones
(flagged as "they don't support LGM bouuuh!"), but even for the paying
ones. When I donate to a cause, and I still do it regularly even with
my situation, and I even used to donate big amounts when I had good
salaries, I don't want to be flagged either. I know that some people
like to say everywhere that they donate this and that, but not all of
donators want this kind of exposure. Of course donating companies are
into exposure (all of them, I think?), but not all individuals.

So yes, sorry I don't have much solution to the financial issue, but
since I saw this proposition of paying to attend, in passing, I just
wanted to say what I thought about it, and how it would change my will
to attend LGM as well. Because I really hope it won't come to it

Jehan

> Bye,
>         Simon
> --
>               simon at budig.de              http://simon.budig.de/
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