[Coral-List] Reflections on ICRS 11

[Jim Hendee]

Greetings,

    Regarding oral presentations at the 11ICRS, the RULES were set in 
place, and they were emphasized strongly by Leadership, not to allow 
oral presentations to go over the alloted time.  The reasoning was 
clear:  if people want to jump between sessions, the most effective way 
was to make sure everybody stuck to their alloted time so that people 
could expect to see what they wanted to see at the appointed time.  In 
our session (#16), we had about 50 oral presentations over a period of 
2.5 days, and had no problem sticking with the program.  Thus, you can't 
blame the management for not doing it right, you must take issue with 
the Mini-Symposia chairs for not reining in the violators.  It would be 
impossible, and undesirable, for "Symposia Police" to go around with a 
cane and yank people off the stage.  Thus, in my opinion, it's not fair 
to criticize the program.  Also, if you did not attend the Symposium, 
you should not criticize it if you didn't see it first hand.  If you're 
one of the folks that went way, way beyond your alloted time, I would 
just say, "Don't do that again! It's impolite, ya' bum!"

    I would like to make one suggestion, though.  The Mini-Symposium 
chairs should have a monitor in front of them so that they can see the 
presentation if shown on a big screen behind or to the side of them.  
Thus, my pain-in-the-neck was the actual visual set-up, not my esteemed 
colleagues!  :D

    Just my two cents...

    Cheers,
    Jim