Posted by Kenneth Sloan on May 23, 2003 at 14:57:37:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Amateurs and ITEA posted by Bart Collins on May 22, 2003 at 10:14:22:
I take a contrary view.
I am, of course, the rankest of amateur. But, I'm an academic and a pro in another field. The value of ITEA *to me* is precisefly that it *is* trying to be a professional/academic organization. I appreciate the ability to watch, from the sidelines, and learn. In my opinion, what works best *for me* is to have a window on the pro/academic world - but that only works for me if ITEA *is* a pro/academic operation.
Now, perhaps there is room (lots of room) for an amateur and wannabe organization. If so, it's up to the amateurs to make that happen.
When I partipate in a technical conference in my own field, I don't want a bunch of hobbyists barging in and telling us how to do things. Outreach is fine - but not if it threatens the core mission.
My view of ITEA is that right now it's not a terribly effective pro/academic organization and it's not a terribly effective outreach program. Trying to do both may make it impossible to do either.