Which Perl Conference?

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Which Perl Conf? by mirod (Canon) on Apr 24, 2002 at 15:14 UTC
The way I see it, TPC has more tracks, more tutorials and more attendance. It is also a lot more expensive (which might or might not be a factor if your company is paying for it). Remember though that days only have 24 hours no matter which conference you attend and how much you pay for it. So if you are interested in some of the other tracks, like XML or Apache, then definitely choose TPC. YAPC is smaller, focused exclusively on Perl, there are definitely less newbies there (although I noticed last year that apparently, with the downturn, only senior programers were allowed to attend TPC). It is also, I think, more friendly, especially to newcomers. It is very easy to talk to people at YAPC (especially for monks). Being at YAPC makes you feel like you are part of a small, friendly, closely knit community, while being at TPC makes you feel like you're part of a powerful and important force that will change the World. Or something. And there is beer involved either way ;--) You pick!	[reply]
Re: Which Perl Conf? by drewbie (Chaplain) on Apr 24, 2002 at 14:38 UTC
First let me say that I've never made it to a perl conference yet. :-( But I think that if you could convince your employer to foot the bill I'd go to TPC in CA. It's bigger, has a larger variety of topics, and in general should have more of the big names in perl attending. And I like the fac that the list of classes is already finalized. It's much easier to convince management when you know what is planned for the sessions. But I've also heard very good things about YAPC as well. It's more of a grassroots effort for those on the East coast who can't make it to CA. And grassroots != poor quality. But here's a little request to the YAPC organizers: Can we get a list of the classes, even it it's just tentative? Just a teaser would make me happy... There's no way my employer can be convinced to get me to TPC, so I'm pushing for YAPC. IMHO, any conference is better than no conference. :-)	[reply]
Re: Which Perl Conf? by delegatrix (Scribe) on Apr 24, 2002 at 17:13 UTC
It depends what you're looking for. If you want more content than just perl, go to TPC where you'll be able to access the rest of the Open Source conference. If you're looking for a vacation, San Diego is a nice spot. If you're looking to be one with the perl geeks, I would recommend YAPC over TPC. Many of the 'big names' do attend YAPC and you'll have better access to them there, with only 300 other attendees to mingle with. Take a look at the papers from previous YAPCs to get an idea of the content. TPC is great fun (I've only missed one and I'm doing a paper this year) and California is sunny, but YAPC is special in its own way. It's like an indie film that we all produce.	[reply]
Re: Which Perl Conf? by Elian (Parson) on Apr 24, 2002 at 17:54 UTC
Well... Get your employer to spring for TPC, and chip in for YAPC yourself. YAPC's a pretty cheap conference, and you can probably go for less than $500 total, unless airfare's really pricey from where you are to St. Louis. (SouthWest flies there, and they're pretty damn cheap)	[reply]
Re: Which Perl Conf? by mojotoad (Monsignor) on Apr 24, 2002 at 21:41 UTC
By the way, if you live in the US and your employer will not foot the bill for classes/conferences, the trip costs are tax deductable as continuing education. If you itemize anyway, this could be quite worthwhile. Two a year and you might even exceed the minimum deduction with only conferences and classes -- not to mention various work-related book purchases throughout the year. Matt	[reply]