From: chapman@cs.sfu.ca (John Chapman)
Subject: Re: Worst of SIGGRAPH
Organization: CSS, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 09:36:53 GMT

> rsc@altair.csustan.edu (Steve Cunningham) writes:
>In <1992Aug13.210040.1782@cs.sfu.ca>, chapman@cs.sfu.ca (John Chapman) says:
>
>>           Further along those lines are the division of the world into
>> "those who go to siggraph" and "those who can't go to siggraph"; this
>> sort of division is further exacerbated when valuable research tools
>> like the CD-ROM proceedings are only available to attendees (yes I know
>> it was an experiment, but still....) - why aren't they available to
>> regular siggraph members along with the proceedings which they will
>> automatically get as members?
>
>There have always been a number of conference-only materials at SIGGRAPH,
>paid for by the conference and not by member fees.  We look forward to

Yes, I realize that; however I think there is a rather discernible
difference between coffee mugs, sweatshirts etc. and a research tool
like the CD-ROM. Heretofore the only materials that attendees got that
non-attendees couldn't get were the tutorial notes (and is anyone else
beside myself bothered by people citing the tutorials in papers?) -
given the, usually basic, level of information in the tutorials this was
no big deal. My problem is, as another person's post says, that there
are no plans to make the CDs available to non-attendees (whether or not
there is a charge is irrelevant to me - it is the basic question of
availablility which concerns me).



>making electronic publications part of our member services in the future
>and this CD-ROM experiment will help us do this more successfully, but
>SIGGRAPH publications do not have the $50,000 to send this to all members.

Well perhaps costs should be addressed. It seems to me that the primary
purpose of the ACM and subsidiary organizations is the dissemination of
information and promotion of research. The conference, to be blunt,
has become a little bit of a circus over the years; a wonderful, slick,
entertaining circus to be sure but still I wonder how much of it is
really necessary. You are saying that $50,000 wasn't available to send
CDs to all members and I can believe you; but I wonder how much money
(not to mention trees :-) might be saved if the slick, cardboard and
glossy paper, 40 odd page, advance program sent to everyone were replaced
by something a little less pretty and a little more utilitarian?
Preparation, production, postage (those things are heavy) must add up
to quite a bit. Along the same lines is the (what? 100 pages?) conference
handbook - could that not be a little more utilitarian/cheaper as well?

Some (siggraph) things have improved since I first became a member in
the 70's and some things have deteriorated (IMHO of course). I really
shouldn't have gotten onto this topic because I've had qualms about
about this general topic for the last several years and although it
is at least parially relevent to the topic of CD's etc. it certainly
is to big a topic to be done justice in this short post.
I hope this is not taken as a personal criticism by people directly
involved since I have a great deal of respect and gratitude for those
who devote large amounts of time and effort, usually for little or no
direct reward, to the benefit of the community but perhaps it
would be useful for members to discuss, in this arena, how well siggraph
fulfills its aims (and just what people think they should be).


>
>By implication, the note raises the question of membership benefits, and
>I see I've raised the counter-question of membership costs.  SIGGRAPH and
>ACM are working to deal with the issue of costs and benefits; all SIGGRAPH
>members should read carefully and respond to the member survey that will
>be mailed with the August issue of Computer Graphics.  In it we are trying
>to gather information on what benefits members find valuable compared to
>what it costs us to provide a membership with these services.  Your responses
>will help us decide on the direction our member services will take.

A survey is great but how about a little free-form discussion debate
here as well.....

>
>Thanks for your time, and we return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast...
>
>-- Steve Cunningham
>   SIGGRAPH director for publications