Discussion List Archives

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: new CCC term

Hi Ralf et al

Thanks again for taking over.

Apropos your points -

(1) I'm reasonably agnostic on the name, but I think it depends on  
what "we" actually want the event to be. The past three (Siena, Kyoto,  
Oviedo) were originally intended to help to try to educate the next  
generation of crystallographic programmers, hence "School". A high  
ratio of tutors/lecturers:students was built in so that the students  
could have close interaction with the experts; a consequence of this  
was that each event had a real workshop atmosphere, rather than one of  
a traditional teaching school.

Whatever "we" decide, it should be called something that will attract  
the target audience. Might "Workshop" attract people who would more  
normally be interested in going to a "code camp" (which I think would  
be a very different kind of event)?

A comment made to me privately when I asked a (senior) participant "If  
you were to change one thing to improve the School, what would you  
change?" was "I wouldn't call it a School".

When I presented CompComm's report to the IUCr Executive Committee, a  
member of the Exec reported that a couple of the participants said  
"the Oviedo School was the best meeting that they had ever been to" -  
in light of that, I think we have a winning formula.

(2) As you know, I think Ottawa would be absolutely fine.

(3) Having the Workshop after the Congress would mean it would have a  
very different atmosphere - to a certain extent, participants may be  
"all conferenced out" (tired after a hard week in Montreal - at least  
those who went to both). Holding the workshop before the Congress  
means that the participants are fresher, and so can work harder at the  
Workshop itself.

For the younger participants who attend both events, it means that  
they have already met some of the "great minds" in Crystallography in  
a relatively intimate atmosphere before the Congress - so they know  
that they are human and not gods on pedestals...

The CompComm Workshop in 1999 followed the Glasgow IUCr - it had  
nothing of the atmosphere of the last three Schools. I found it rather  
hard going.

On balance, I would prefer the Workshop to precede the Congress.

In the Northern hemisphere, August is more traditionally a holiday  
month than July (e.g. "chiuso per le ferie" is common in Italy in  
August) - I'm sure that those with families would be happier to have  
more of August available!

The important thing is to get the dates sorted out early, and  
advertised to the community so that clashes can be avoided by  
organisers of other  meetings. As far as CompComm is concerned, this  
has been our principal activity in the triennium; since it is also  
(apparently) a flagship meeting for the IUCr, we should be prepared to  
be assertive in our choice - i.e. let other people work around us,  
rather than vice-versa.

Just my two ha'porth....

On 15 Oct 2011, at 00:33, Ralf Grosse-Kunstleve wrote:

> Hello members and consultants of the IUCr Commission on  
> Crystallographic Computing (CCC)!
>
> I'm writing as the new chairman. This is the first message to the  
> updated compcomm mailing list, reflecting the new membership as  
> approved by the IUCr executive during the Madrid conference. If you  
> prefer to use a different email address for this list, please let me  
> know.
>
> Below are 3 discussion points:
>
> 1. New name for our satellite meeting: Computing Workshop
> 2. Tenative site for the 2014 Computing Workshop: Carleton  
> University, Ottawa
> 3. Time for the workshop: before or after the main IUCr conference?
>
> Point 1:
>
> The main role of this commission is to organize the next CCC  
> satellite meeting before or after the next IUCr conference in 2014  
> (Montreal, Canada). The first thing I'd like to change is the name  
> of our satellite. The old name "Computing School" doesn't convey  
> very well the character of the meeting. It may put off more senior  
> people, and discourage people from attending more than once. The  
> past three meetings (Siena 2005, Kyoto 2008, Oviedo 2011) had much  
> more the character of a workshop. I'd like to continue to strongly  
> encourage all participants to actively contribute to the meeting via  
> tutorials and ad-hoc talks. Therefore I suggest we call the meeting
>
> Satellite Workshop of the IUCr Commission on Crystallographic  
> Computing
>
> or short "Computing Workshop". On the website for the workshop we  
> could add something like "formerly known as Computing School".
>
> Point 2:
>
> Patrick Mercier volunteered to be the local organizer for the  
> Computing Workshop. He is based in Ottawa, which is just 150km away  
> from Montreal. Patrick suggests Carleton University in Ottawa as a  
> good site for our workshop. Accommodation, meals, and talks can all  
> be in close proximity, like in the previous schools. I think this is  
> ideal.
>
> Point 3:
>
> The main IUCr meeting is from Aug 5-12, 2014, about two weeks  
> earlier in the month than usual. Traditionally our satellite meeting  
> is before the main meeting. This would mean the Computing Workshop  
> would run from about Wed Jul 30 through Tue Aug 5. Is this too  
> early? Is this likely to clash with other meetings? Should we  
> consider having the Computing Workshop after the main meeting, i.e.  
> Aug 12-18? Feedback on this subject is highly appreciated.
>
> All the best,
> Ralf
>
> _______________________________________________
> compcomm mailing list
> compcomm@iucr.org
> http://scripts.iucr.org/mailman/listinfo/compcomm

Harry
--
Dr Harry Powell, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, MRC Centre,  
Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QH

_______________________________________________
compcomm mailing list
compcomm@iucr.org
http://scripts.iucr.org/mailman/listinfo/compcomm

Reply to: [list | sender only]
International Union of Crystallography

Scientific Union Member of the International Science Council (admitted 1947). Member of CODATA, the ISC Committee on Data. Partner with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the International Year of Crystallography 2014.

International Science Council Scientific Freedom Policy

The IUCr observes the basic policy of non-discrimination and affirms the right and freedom of scientists to associate in international scientific activity without regard to such factors as ethnic origin, religion, citizenship, language, political stance, gender, sex or age, in accordance with the Statutes of the International Council for Science.

Useful links