Conference preferences survey

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Brought to you by the excellent people at the Sociolinguistic Events Calendar (http://www.baal.org.uk/slxevents.html).

PLEASE NOTE: For some questions you can only pick one answer; for others you can pick as many as you want.

Behold, the conference preferences survey...

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2.3 Conference dinners usually carry a separate flat fee, which is usually pretty high and therefore unaffordable for many. As a more inclusive alternative, I would happily attend... (For this question, choose as many options as you like.)

A normal dinner, but where non-fee-payers can attend and bring their own food. It might be a bit weird but at least everyone could attend. Restaurants probably wouldn't allow that so it would likely be at the conference venue.

A much cheaper and less lavish dinner than usual, e.g. an open buffet at £10 ($15/€14) per person (drinks extra).

A survival challenge, foraging in the woods and dodging bears.

Section 1: Where is everybody?

1.1 The conference organisers are thinking about dates. Should they allow the conference to spread into the weekend?

What is this 'weekend' you speak of?

Take one day of the weekend if you must, but let me at least pretend to have a life outside work.

Don't touch my weekend! I have a family/hobby/finite amount of energy.

Clear selection

1.2 Imagine the conference organisers have a choice between two venues: one with well-equipped rooms that are quite far apart, and one with less well-equipped rooms that are very close together (e.g. some rooms are missing, say, speakers/internet/projector, etc.). The organisers should choose...

The well-equipped, far apart rooms. I could do with the exercise.

The less well-equipped, close together rooms. And it would be nice if someone could carry me between rooms.

Clear selection

1.3 The poster presentations should be set out...

In the main foyer where the tea/coffee breaks happen, meaning more serendipitous encounters but also more distraction.

In a separate room, meaning less serendipity but more focus.

Out in the woods, with a prize for finding each one.

Clear selection

1.4 It's better to have the conference dinner...

At the conference venue.

At a restaurant that is an easy walk from the conference venue.

At a restaurant further away, with coaches laid on (coaches = a higher dinner fee).

Clear selection

Section 2: Show me the money

2.1 The conference bursary should be provided to... (For this question, choose as many options as you like.)

Students without funding.

Students with funding.

Post-PhD people who are unemployed.

Post-PhD people who are employed but without conference funding (e.g. hourly paid lecturers, those working outside academia).

2.2 The conference registration fees are mostly spent on essentials like room hire, projectors, security etc., but some of it goes on little extras (and each one raises the fee for everyone). If it meant a lower fee, I would happily do without... (For this question, choose as many options as you like.)

A hard copy of the timetable (assuming it was also online).

A hard copy of the abstract book (assuming it was also online).

A paper pad and pen.

A bag.

Lunch every day (assuming you could save money by shopping locally and preparing lunch yourself).

Wine at the conference reception.

Tea/coffee in the breaks.

Plenary speakers.

2.4 I am bored of this survey already.

So bored... when will this end??

This is the most exciting thing I've done all day!

Clear selection

Section 3: The panel chair

3.1 A presenter is unexpectedly absent from a parallel session, making a gap in the programme. The chair can either: (a) wait and leave a gap, or (b) just continue with the next presentation. Option (a) means less hassle for people who showed up at the start. Option (b) helps people skipping between sessions (who would be relying on the programme and unaware of last minute changes). The chair should...

Just go ahead with the next presentation, meaning that all the presentations are earlier than scheduled.

Leave a gap, and stick to the timing in the programme.

Clear selection

3.2 A presenter has not timed their presentation very well, and they're running into the Q&A period. The chair should...

Cut them off immediately.

Cut them off half way through their Q&A period.

Cut them off when they've used up their Q&A period (and allow no questions).

Cut them off when they've used up their Q&A period (and allow one short question).

Don't interrupt at all, even if they stray into the next presenter's time slot.

Clear selection

3.3 During Q&A, if someone's question takes more than sixty seconds (possibly beginning "I have more of a comment than a question"), the chair should...

Let them keep going. Some interesting points might come up.

Politely stop them and invite the presenter to respond to any identifiable questions raised so far.

Eject them from the conference, possibly via a window.

Clear selection

3.4 During Q&A, someone asks a question which is totally incomprehensible. It is beyond ridiculous how mangled this question is. This question couldn't be more nonsensical if it wore a hat made of spaghetti and danced around on stilts made of cheese. The chair should...

Attempt to rephrase this garbled nonsense for the speaker, on behalf of the audience member.

Ask the questioner to rephrase their contorted gibberish.

Leave the speaker to try and piece together this train wreck on their own.

Suggest that the pin in this haystack might be better located during the coffee break instead, and just move on to the next question.

Clear selection

3.5 OMG this survey is taking forever.

I'm so bored my eyes are protesting and showing me re-runs of Friends episodes.

I think this survey might be the thrilling pinnacle of my week!

Clear selection

Section 4: The world wide internets

4.1 Should delegates routinely be allowed to present remotely via Skype? This would help those with e.g. parenting/caring responsibilities, and it could mean a lower fee (discounting lunch, coffee etc.); but if lots of people chose this it could dilute the creative conference milieu.

Yes, make remote presenting a routine option.

No, keep physical attendance as the main/only attendance option.

Allow a limited number of Skype presenters, allocated according to need.

Clear selection

4.2 Youtube allows free live-streaming, and videos of up to 11 hours. It also allows password protection to restrict access. With the consent of the presenters, I would like to see... (For this question, choose as many options as you like, but just don't pick conflicting options!)

The plenary talks live-streamed AND uploaded online afterwards.

The plenary talks live-streamed only (not uploaded).

The plenary talks put online afterwards only (not live-streamed).

Every single presentation live-streamed AND uploaded online afterwards.

Every single presentation live-streamed only (not uploaded).

Every single presentation put online afterwards only (not live-streamed).

The foraging survival challenge live-streamed and put online afterwards.

4.3 What about a conference that was completely online? This would be run a bit like a series of webinars running in parallel. Let's assume there would be no technical glitches, and that this would mean a much lower fee (possibly no fee).

In 2015 are we seriously still trekking around the world just to talk to each other? Sign me up for online only!

A conference is about so much more than just the presentations! Let's keep meeting up together.

Clear selection

4.4 Sociolinguistic events that are not listed on the Sociolinguistic Events Calendar (http://www.baal.org.uk/slxevents.html) might as well not exist.

I think the Sociolinguistic Events Calendar is about as useful as an inflatable dartboard.

You mean there are sociolinguistic events not on the Sociolinguistic Events Calendar? Why would anyone go to those?

Clear selection

Section 5: Like, whatever...

5.1 Do you have any other quibbles, qualms, queries, or querulous quandaries?

Let loose, it's anonymous...

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You can see the survey results any time here: https://goo.gl/NchF58. They'll keep changing so you might like to check back, or maybe you have better things to do...

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