Comments on: Thoughts on conference format http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2009/04/thoughts_on_con.html The Law, the Universe, and Everything Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:18:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: David Zaring http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2009/04/thoughts_on_con.html/comment-page-1#comment-43063 David Zaring Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:37:22 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2009/04/thoughts-on-conference-format.html#comment-43063 Nice post, and I do agree with Jeremy that the presentation are often supposed to dispense with the need to read the paper. At least, that is what the economics style speaker series presume, as far as I can tell. I sorta like a mix. Massive ballroom conferences are mostly a drag, but they do have a way of centralizing the discussion. So with a well chosen speaker.....I dunno. Nice post, and I do agree with Jeremy that the presentation are often supposed to dispense with the need to read the paper. At least, that is what the economics style speaker series presume, as far as I can tell.

I sorta like a mix. Massive ballroom conferences are mostly a drag, but they do have a way of centralizing the discussion. So with a well chosen speaker…..I dunno.

]]> By: jeremy hunsinger http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2009/04/thoughts_on_con.html/comment-page-1#comment-43062 jeremy hunsinger Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:51:31 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2009/04/thoughts-on-conference-format.html#comment-43062 if everyone has read the papers, or it is expected that they have, why present them? why waste time with powerpoints or other nonsense, just have someone announce the name of the paper, and collect people's notes, corrections, etc. and move on to the next. 5 minute sessions, and then people can go to the post-session reception. the issue of course is no matter what is stated... if there are presentations, most people won't read the papers. professors and students are very good at managing time, so if something isn't required, and there is no huge repercussion for them in not having done it, they will do something to resolve other things instead. this is why we have presentations and the expectation is that most people haven't read the papers. workshops are very different than conferences. workshops people come together to do work. they don't present papers, they might have drafted papers and if so everyone is expected to have read and taken notes on those papers. if everyone has read the papers, or it is expected that they have, why present them? why waste time with powerpoints or other nonsense, just have someone announce the name of the paper, and collect people’s notes, corrections, etc. and move on to the next. 5 minute sessions, and then people can go to the post-session reception.

the issue of course is no matter what is stated… if there are presentations, most people won’t read the papers. professors and students are very good at managing time, so if something isn’t required, and there is no huge repercussion for them in not having done it, they will do something to resolve other things instead. this is why we have presentations and the expectation is that most people haven’t read the papers.

workshops are very different than conferences. workshops people come together to do work. they don’t present papers, they might have drafted papers and if so everyone is expected to have read and taken notes on those papers.

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