[penguicon-general] registration, bof, and the changes needed to get there

[Matt Arnold]

> > I don't distinguish much between panels and presentations.  And if you have
> > zero presenters but lots of interest, it's a BOF.

I chart this on a double-axis graph of  (1) the number of participants
committed in advance to attend, and (2) how much difference there is
between speakers and audience. This graph can be seen here:

http://pics.livejournal.com/matt_arnold/pic/000acgd7

A panel is any discussion with multiple participants who have
committed to be there, get up in front of an audience, and discuss. It
is preferable to have something to say about the topic, but not
required, since committed participants are sometimes moderators.

A presentation is a talk prepared and delivered by one person who has
committed to be there and do it. Because there is only one person, a
presenter can prepare far more than can a panelist. Also, if the
presenter doesn't have much to say on the topic ... that would be odd.
So usually they do.

A Round Table is a small session in which every audience member is an
active participant in the discussion. This usually results from a
panel that attracts such a small audience that the audience is invited
to join the panel on the other side of the table. These are often
worthwhile and rewarding, but cannot be scheduled in advance as Round
Tables per se. If no one is willing to commit to be there, there is no
sense reserving a space and time for it, but if someone is willing to
be there, they constitute a panel.

A Birds Of A Feather session is any discussion which was scheduled on
an impromptu basis, in which no one present actually committed before
Penguicon to attend it. If more than one person registers in advance
of Penguicon to participate in a scheduled discussion, they constitute
a panel.

> Maybe there needs to be a standard for requesting a meeting space or
> inclusion in the official schedule:
> Schedule only:  proposal and nominations
> Schedule + room 30min:  proposal with topic and presenter
> Schedule + room 1hr:  proposal with syllabus and presenter with
> nominations or multiple presenters
> Schedule + room 90min:  proposal with syllabus and multiple
> presenters/panelists, or historical track record (previous Penguicons)
> etc.

I need more explanation of this. Among the following:
Being on the schedule
Being given a room
Being given a timeslot

... how can an event have one without also having the other two, by definition?
-Matt