What's a Usenix Conference like?

[Steven Bellovin]

In article <1990Jun5.163222.3294 at zorch.SF-Bay.ORG>, scott at zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Scott Hazen Mueller) writes:
> Well, I'll be heading down to Anaheim next week to attend my first Usenix
> conference, and I'd like to get some info and impressions on what it's like.
> I'm interested in things like, how formal do people dress - I imagine that
> ties and jackets would be pretty rare, but is there any time that attendees
> do try to manage to be a little neater than others?  Also, do most people
> wear nametags; I saw one from a couple of years back, with name, email address
> and FaceSaver picture - or, am I expected to download lots of FaceSaver images
> from uunet and study them?
> 
> I'm also interested in just impressions, pointers, tips and observations that
> would make a first-time attendee's trip more pleasant.

Wearing a suit is a sure-fire way to get yourself classified as a
marketing person or worse.  Jeans or equivalent are the standard
uniform for most of the technical attendees.  (There are exceptions;
I'm giving the preconception for those without a reputation.)

I suppose I should qualify that a bit; some of the folks who give talks
think they have to dress up a bit more on the day they're speaking.
Others have learned better...

Most folks do wear nametags, though on occasion there have been a
remarkable number of people claiming to be Bill Joy or some other
luminary.

As for what to do -- my primary reason for attending Usenix conferences
is to meet people.  In many cases, it's to see old friends I haven't
seen since the last conference we both attended, or to meet net.friends
I've never seen.  To that end, I make it a point to stay at the
conference hotel if possible, and to be in the bar area if I don't
have anything better to do in the evenings.  Many of the folks I want
to meet will be there; drinking is optional if you don't do that sort
of thing.  (It's also fun to watch stuffy hotel staff deal with
people who look like relics of the 60's.)

By the same token, don't misss the reception (aka the ``mandatory fun'').
Most people will be there.  And it's the people who make the conference;
you can read the proceedings in a library if that's all you're
interested in.

That isn't to say you shouldn't scan the proceedings as soon as you
get them; if you don't do that, you won't know which talks are worth
going to.

Since my travel time is very limited, I tend to arrive after dinner
the night before the conference proper starts, and leave right after
the last session on Friday.  That gives me two full evenings at the
conference; one is the reception, and I tried to find an interesting
restaurant for the other night.  I schedule the time around the BOFs.
Your mileage may vary.

And, after all that, I won't be there this time, nor for the next
couple of years.  Sigh...


		--Steve Bellovin