US-based conferences should probably prepare to offer e.g. presentation and comms devices for on-site use by international travelers who are motivated enough to attend but who can't safely bring their devices across the border.
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Seriously considering pulling out of an upcoming tech conference in SF. The mitigation suggestion is helpful, but it feels like a lot of hoops to jump through for diminishing returns.
I’ve enjoyed hearing both of you speak at conferences in the states. I appreciate you traveling this far to share your knowledge. That said, if you can afford to, I would boycott everything about this country right now. Your apprehension is very justified.
Conferences will have to be virtual or moved to another country. People are afraid to enter the US given what is happening at the borders. On what level is this acceptable? When will the silent majority republicans say enough is enough? Did they take an oath to the Constitution or to trump? Resist
I’m currently doing research at the world’s largest physics conference and I’m a little surprised that I haven’t heard about any of our international attendees having trouble. Seems like luck so far. I hope it stays that way.
Imagine, if you will, that the above post offers a way into thinking about risk and responsibility for conf organizers and attendees. IRL events are going to happen in the US, even now. Flagging devices as an issue in advance usefully clarifies for both parties that worrying is not an overreaction.
The vast majority of people are not following this stuff the way you are following it. I am interested in operationalizing collective senses of which risks are heightened now, and for whom.
One of the many safeguards that I have thought about is the concept of burner laptops paired with remote presentation laptops; these would be low end computers placed on the net for one reason only. 1/4
on the presenter side, still in their home country, the participant would place materials they would need for presentation and/or research on a clean laptop with remotable apps in place (think Splashtop Teamviewer, etc.)
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after entering our country, at the event or research site would present an equally low end laptop with the same remote software; and in that way, they would have a secured device to work from, free of compromisable materials 3/4
The original machine would not be on a network with the participant's own computer, so if compromised, it would not be capable of accessing the true participant's true platform by, ummm, questionable parties in our country 4/4
That an interesting case though, right? Because for a quite awhile, a lot of people wore masks and pressured other people to do so. These modes are accessible.
Academia already showed what they are made of (tho I agree with your general point as well as your reminder that other modes are possible, bc of course they are)
Yeah. I was thinking less of aca conferences and more of the ones in my zone, but they have also mostly been doing thoughts and prayers. But my toxic trait is that once my jaws lock on a possibility of doing better, I’m very hard to pry off.
I fussed & whined at my main ac conf this year bc for the 2nd year in a row they were hosting in person w/o remote access. I listed health, $, carbon, & visas. They relented. But planning a small one last yr where I had to swim upstream to get co-organizers to have masks & remote kinda broke me down
US-based conferences should probably also offer the possibility to present and attend remotely since people may not be able to get an esta or a visa anymore just based on their gender.
My work’s largest conference, with ~15,000 attendees is happening right now. It’s available almost entirely virtually, in addition to offering equitable pricing and satellite locations. I hope it’s been helpful. So far it seems like we’ve avoided the worst outcomes.
I was advising a few speakers from India who wanted to speak at a conference in the US. The wait time for a visa is almost 2 years. They would have to apply for a visa a year before the CfP opened. Their best bet would be to first fly to Jamaica or maybe spend a week in Ireland.
I was over for a week of work last month, the subsequent news of innocuous tourists from Canada and Europe being banged up in ICE detention centers is definitely making me think I shouldn't go back for >= 4 years, even if my company offers me the chance.
I’m so worried about international folks coming in for work reasons. They’ve obviously been trying to make examples of people. It’s all so insane. This is going to have ripple effects for years.
The only silver lining I see is the possibility people will finally wake the fuck up. Most of this country lacks basic civics education. They don’t know what the government even does. Maybe they will finally be shocked into change.
Nothing is normal. Also, there are a lot of conferences already underway that are not going to be cancelled. We could make them a bit safer for people who decide to attend, or we could not.
I am looking at this situation and I am not sure it is safe for ME to cross out of the United States to have lunch in Quebec and expect to be able to come back safely. Even if I leave my devices at home.
Th UK, Germany and France have now issued travel advisories (as in: do NOT travel to the US). US based conferences with international participants will become a thing of the past. My guess is, that at some point, it may become a risk of US participants visiting conferences abroad.
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More and more crossing borders leads to unreasonable risk. Hate that.
Personally I’m far more interested in going to just about anywhere other than the USA!
I guess be careful to get the ESTAs right...
That’s deeply worrying, of course!