(I'm copying Bruce Koball, General Chair of the CFP Conference, on this message, as I don't know if he gets the Cypherpunks list.) Dave Deltorto is one of several people I know, including myself, who don't like the prices of the upcoming Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference:

.... I would also dearly like to attend CFP, but I haven't yet found a way to do it without money (anyone who knows a way I can volunteer my way in and help out please say so - I'll sweep up after, anything...).

In my opinion, $405 is way too much to pay for this conference. Science Fiction conventions routinely get the use of major hotels at a far lower per head price (from $40-$125 is typical). The BayCon convention takes over most of the public facilities in San Jose's Red Lion Inn (several ballrooms, many smaller rooms, and most of the public lobby areas), has about 500 attendees (same as CFP), and charges less than $100 for 4 days (and one-day memberships are typically around $30). And the "Hackers Conference" has kept its cost down to around $300, which includes two nights lodging and all meals (very sumptuous meals, too). Granted, CFP puts out a nice transcript of the talks--credit them $20 for that. Granted, a couple of meals are thrown in--credit them another $30 or so. What's left is still too much. Yes, a "register early" discount exists/existed, but inasmuch as there's a nonzero risk someone can't attend (and hence loses what they paid, or some fraction of it), counting such discounts is not really kosher. There are several possible reasons for the high fees: 1. Price insensitivity. $405 is what the traffic will bear. Most attendees are subsidized by their law firms (which often charge $200 or more per hour, so $400 for a conference is practically invisible to them), their corporations, or the government (taxpayers). I suspect most targeted attendees are price-insensitive. I'm price-sensitive, because I have to _earn_ about $700-800 before taxes to pay for the $405 being charged, and I have better uses for $405 (like a new DAT machine). 2. "Everyone else is doing it." Conference prices have been skyrocketing the last few years, although some conferences (like the SF conventions I mentioned) are still price-conscious and hold down prices. If CFP meets their attendance goal of 550, I guess they'll have been justified to price it as they did (though the mix of attendees could still be an issue to consider). And if they fail to meet the goal of 550, even with the comped or subsidized attendees, perhaps they can reconsider their pricing. 3. Subsidies of journalists. In talking to several journalists and journalistic wannabees, I've found they're getting "comped" passes. Thus, the paying attendees are subsidizing the shmoozings and barhoppings of our journalist friends! (This is not meant as an insult to the journalists out there...I just can't see why they get subsidized attendance.) How important a factor this is depends on the number of journalists, of course. (With hundreds of new magazines every year, 50 channels of shit on the t.v. (to borrow a phrase), and thousands of newsletters on every conceivable subject, I am waiting for the day when there are more journalists at these kinds of conferences than nonjournalists! They can all talk to themselves, I guess.) 4. Other costs. And profits. Maybe it costs CFP much more to put on this conference than it does some of the other conferences I've mentioned. Maybe they have fewer volunteers. In any case, I wish them luck. They are free to set their rates as they wish. I don't plan to attend, in case I haven't already made that clear. -Tim May -- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: MailSafe and PGP available.