[hackerspaces] [hackerspaces-announce] BruCon in Brussels, Sept. 09

[jaromil]

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hi Benny,

we missed to have this discussion IRL, so here a few adjunctions

On Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 03:02:58PM +0200, Benny Ketelslegers wrote:

> > and  there is  even  people complaining  that  HAR or  CCC is  too
> > expensive, with a 150 - 185  EUR entrance fee for a fully equipped
> > week of camping
> 
> I know  and I  don't understand  that. Have a  look at  a commercial
> event like  Blackhat and  look at their  income prices. If  we don't
> support the ones  you mentioned, all we will  have left is Blackhat,
> RSA, and others. If people  find HAR too expensive, they should find
> a   weekend  job   like  I   did   for  4   years  when   I  was   a
> student. Complaining is easy, doing something about it is another.

personally i don't  "find HAR too expensive" because  i know perfectly
that what the guys are organising is something that COSTS a lot in NL:
a full blown camp site with all  the blinky stuff that we all like. if
you  really like  something like  that you  know the  price  is worth,
people  pay for  a  full week  of  vacation much  more  and have  much
crappier time anyway :)

but then you ain't  got the point of my previous mail:

on one side we have people  complaining already for CCC or HAR prices,
which   IMO  are   rationally  justifiable   for  what   they  provide
(considering catering  prices of  northern EU): these  complaints mean
that there is  people that would really enjoy these  events and add to
them, but they are excluded  because they don't even have that money.

OTOH  there is a  significant gap  in even  higher prices  for BruCon,
lasting 2 days only with a 300 EUR slam at door.

so my  curiosity sounds  kindof "what the  hell are you  preparing for
that  to cost  so much?"   - because  if it  is something  really THAT
special i wanna come too :) but unfortunately that wasn't obvious from
the program.


> We started Brucon  as a non profit organisation.  Under Belgian law,
> it's called a  vzw, vereniging zonder winst. Most  of the money goes
> to paying a decent venue. We  are all volunteers of which some spend
> 10 hours a week setting this up, non-paid.

allright, what exactly  motivates people to do this  on the long term?
i mean  if there  will be a  large amount  of money gathered,  how are
general intentions for investment?

something like BRUxelles CONference doesn't really gives a hint.

i'm  also  on  the board  of  a  dutch  stichting  BTW, which  can  be
translated to english as non-profit  foundation indeed. so i guess you
also have a statute? just to save you some time...

> >  2- what do  i get from it? is participation  to such a conference
> >    going to  provide you with certificates, titles,  paper you can
> >    use to get a job (or stuff like that, if you know what i mean)?
> >    and  even then,  is  there someone  taking  really seriously  a
> >    "brucon" attendance certificate? how is all this spendable?
> >
> 
> You can put it  in your CV and show people that  you actively try to
> stay  up to  date  on different  topics.  I'm happy  to  make you  a
> certificate. ;-)

sorry to be  so direct, but i doubt it would  actually add much weight
to a CV.

> I go  to these  events, to  meet other people,  have fun,  and learn
> other point of views on life. For me, it's like going on a holiday.

well for me too,  but then i want to make sure  i'm going to have good
holidays :)

> >  3-  what is the  "quality check"  on such  initiatives (if  not a
> >      critical thread on  a mailinglist, and a web  of people known
> >      to  be  professional,  at   least)?  is  there  a  scientific
> >      committee?
> 
> Look at the contents and decide what you can get out of it and what
> interests you. Please don't follow what other say or 'some' kind of
> committee.

i'm probably not so up-to-date with  names on the security scene, so i
lack orientation among the intervenes.  however i was asking about the
*process* of selecting those who  intervene, being such a paid event a
sort of investment made by all those who pay entrance.

> >  4- what about starting to  push forward the idea of discounts for
> >    "hackerspace members", rather than "students"?
> >
> 
> I posted a hackerspace discount code a few days ago. Use HACKERSPACESORG07
> to get a discount.

and how much discount that gives?

> Yes, I'm  on the Brucon crew.  Not feeling targeted,  just giving my
> opinion.

sincere thanks :)

> We are looking  for a cheaper venue in Brussels  and are just trying
> to survive  our first edition. If  enough people come,  we can lower
> our prices  next year. If you  have connections in  Brussels, let us
> know. We welcome all help and feedback!!!

the venue is the problem?

it is not  the first time i  hear that. but then why  don't you detail
that publicly? that's  what Geert Lovink did at  the opening speech of
the WinterCamp  this year  (Institute of Network  Cultures), lamenting
that a venue  in Amsterdam is so extremely expensive  that we will end
up doing our things somewhere else.

i think you  are entitled to publish the costs  and to highlight these
problems, then more people will acknowledge and it will hopefully be a
step to make things better and more reasonable for everyone.

> PS, if you are at HSF2009, get a brucon flyer at the income to get a
> beer voucher for Brucon ;-)

i got a sip from Astera and Philippe. cheers :) i like Duvel, still my
favourite export is Chimay ;)

ciao


- -- 

jaromil, dyne.org developer, http://jaromil.dyne.org

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  Nowadays  only  soubrettes, body  builders,  media  owners and  "the
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  Fravia, April 2009, http://fravia.com/swansong.htm

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