Rita SingerAug 29, 2023

It is the year 2023, and I'm getting booted off a conference programme because "presentations have been planned as an in-person event" and the facilities don't have the required technical set-up.

Wow!

The only way this argument flies at all is that on campus presenters will not have access to the internet and their PPT slides have to be transformed into actual dia-positive slides for use on a manually handled projector? (I know the campus, BTW. Neither is the case.)

In danger of sounding like an entitled whatever, this is a plain lazy and, frankly, privileged and exclusionary excuse! in 2013, when I organised my first ever own conference, we managed to have two remote presenters from two different time zones present remotely and it worked.

@academicchatter

Show threadRita SingerAug 29, 2023

I'm mostly angry about the complete cognitive disconnect between the academic discipline behind the conference series and the real-life implications the organisers' attitude has for (potential) participants.

Scenario 1: I'm a single parent and can't get childcare.
Conference: Too bad. We're in-person.

Scenario 2: I have a (in/visable) disability that makes in-person difficult/impossible.
Conference: Too bad. We're in-person.

Scenario 3: I can't afford to travel.
Conference: Too bad. We're in-person.

Scenario 4: I've seen the name of a presenter on a programme who makes me unsafe.
Conference: Too bad. We're in-person.

Scenario 5: I have lived experience to share, but have to remain anonymous for several reasons.
Conference: Too bad. We're in-person.

Show threadFirehorseart Lives!Aug 29, 2023

@_bydbach_

Scenario 2 was the case for me as I could have been presenting an in-person workshop today. There wasn't time to ask what other options may be available but ...

It's amazing that, with all the innovative tech available, the push back to in-person events continues.

Surely by now some lessons learnt should have filtered through?

Many institutions have distance learning as an option, so events could make the same pivot.

Show threadCharlesAug 30, 2023
@srfirehorseart @_bydbach_ The reason for the push for in-person events is probably at least in part due to the fact that most people just like to travel
Show threadRita Singer
@aeftaw @srfirehorseart Which is fair. But not everybody can afford that luxury.
Aug 30, 2023 at 8:05amWeb
Show threadCharlesAug 30, 2023
@_bydbach_ @srfirehorseart Aren't conference travels usually sponsored by universities?
Show threadRita SingerAug 30, 2023
@aeftaw @srfirehorseart Nope. Some unis cover students and staff, some only academic staff, some only permanent academic staff. Some unis set a tight annual budget which barely covers a single conference within your own contry. -- And then there are very often contributors who are independent researchers who have no institutional support at all.
Show threadRita SingerAug 30, 2023
@aeftaw @srfirehorseart And to be honest, I have yet to hear of a single institution who covers the cost of visa applications, which can run into the hundreds for a single coloured sticker in your passport. And that does not even include the time and nerves spent on the application on top of organising travel which often cannot be done unless the visa has been issued. So any delay with that can potentially lead to spiraling travel costs.