Hi all
A number of fellow Wikipedians had noticed that The early bird rate for this year's Wikimania Registration will not available soon on 23 Apr
However there is not yet any sign of announcement of the scholarship
So I wonder if the DC team would suggest definate-will-go applicants register first Then sort of reimbursing later if required?
lOOking forward to any reply from the DC OCs soon.
自吾之埃拍 Sent from my iPad
Scholar registration is $35 regardless of date.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 18, 2012, at 8:31 AM, Jeromy-Yu Maximilian Chan jerry.tschan.yu@gmail.com wrote:
Hi all
A number of fellow Wikipedians had noticed that The early bird rate for this year's Wikimania Registration will not available soon on 23 Apr
However there is not yet any sign of announcement of the scholarship
So I wonder if the DC team would suggest definate-will-go applicants register first Then sort of reimbursing later if required?
lOOking forward to any reply from the DC OCs soon.
自吾之埃拍 Sent from my iPad
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
We also expect to notify applicants in time for early registration if they don't receive a scholarship. We're very close now.
-Sage On Apr 18, 2012 10:48 AM, "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
Scholar registration is $35 regardless of date.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 18, 2012, at 8:31 AM, Jeromy-Yu Maximilian Chan < jerry.tschan.yu@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi all
A number of fellow Wikipedians had noticed that The early bird rate for this year's Wikimania Registration will not available soon on 23 Apr
However there is not yet any sign of announcement of the scholarship
So I wonder if the DC team would suggest definate-will-go applicants register first Then sort of reimbursing later if required?
lOOking forward to any reply from the DC OCs soon.
自吾之埃拍 Sent from my iPad
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
How close? :)
*~Orsolya* *WM2012 Program Depurty Chair *
2012. április 18. 17:18 Sage Ross írta, ragesoss+wikipedia@gmail.com:
We also expect to notify applicants in time for early registration if they don't receive a scholarship. We're very close now.
-Sage On Apr 18, 2012 10:48 AM, "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
Scholar registration is $35 regardless of date.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 18, 2012, at 8:31 AM, Jeromy-Yu Maximilian Chan < jerry.tschan.yu@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi all
A number of fellow Wikipedians had noticed that The early bird rate for this year's Wikimania Registration will not available soon on 23 Apr
However there is not yet any sign of announcement of the scholarship
So I wonder if the DC team would suggest definate-will-go applicants register first Then sort of reimbursing later if required?
lOOking forward to any reply from the DC OCs soon.
自吾之埃拍 Sent from my iPad
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
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You are so impatient, Orsi :) Sage said:* very* close.
Samat
On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 18:18, Orsolya Gyenes gyenes.orsolya@wiki.media.huwrote:
How close? :)
*~Orsolya* *WM2012 Program Depurty Chair
- április 18. 17:18 Sage Ross írta, ragesoss+wikipedia@gmail.com:
We also expect to notify applicants in time for early registration if they
don't receive a scholarship. We're very close now.
-Sage On Apr 18, 2012 10:48 AM, "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
Scholar registration is $35 regardless of date.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 18, 2012, at 8:31 AM, Jeromy-Yu Maximilian Chan < jerry.tschan.yu@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi all
A number of fellow Wikipedians had noticed that The early bird rate for this year's Wikimania Registration will not available soon on 23 Apr
However there is not yet any sign of announcement of the scholarship
So I wonder if the DC team would suggest definate-will-go applicants register first Then sort of reimbursing later if required?
lOOking forward to any reply from the DC OCs soon.
自吾之埃拍 Sent from my iPad
Op 19-4-2012 18:32, Samat schreef:
You are so impatient, Orsi :) Sage said:/very/ close.
This is not impatience. Organization is just very late. Last year the scholarships were announced end of March, four months in advance of Wikimania 2011. Now it's only 81 days left for Wikimania 2012. It's a bit like the hotels, "almost done" since the beginning of April.
Maarten
Yes. We're sorry it took so long. Results went out Friday. Chapter scholarships should be finalized soon.
On the plus side, we expect to leave next year's team in a good position to launch the process early.
-Sage
(sent from my phone) On Apr 22, 2012 9:09 AM, "Maarten Dammers" maarten@mdammers.nl wrote:
Op 19-4-2012 18:32, Samat schreef:
You are so impatient, Orsi :) Sage said:* very* close.
This is not impatience. Organization is just very late. Last year the scholarships were announced end of March, four months in advance of Wikimania 2011. Now it's only 81 days left for Wikimania 2012. It's a bit like the hotels, "almost done" since the beginning of April.
Maarten
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Hello,
I haven't received a feedback on my scholarship application status.
best, [[user:stephenwanjau]]
On 4/22/12, Sage Ross ragesoss+wikipedia@gmail.com wrote:
Yes. We're sorry it took so long. Results went out Friday. Chapter scholarships should be finalized soon.
On the plus side, we expect to leave next year's team in a good position to launch the process early.
-Sage
(sent from my phone) On Apr 22, 2012 9:09 AM, "Maarten Dammers" maarten@mdammers.nl wrote:
Op 19-4-2012 18:32, Samat schreef:
You are so impatient, Orsi :) Sage said:* very* close.
This is not impatience. Organization is just very late. Last year the scholarships were announced end of March, four months in advance of Wikimania 2011. Now it's only 81 days left for Wikimania 2012. It's a bit like the hotels, "almost done" since the beginning of April.
Maarten
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
On 22 April 2012 14:09, Maarten Dammers maarten@mdammers.nl wrote:
Op 19-4-2012 18:32, Samat schreef:
You are so impatient, Orsi :) Sage said: very close.
This is not impatience. Organization is just very late. Last year the scholarships were announced end of March, four months in advance of Wikimania 2011. Now it's only 81 days left for Wikimania 2012. It's a bit like the hotels, "almost done" since the beginning of April.
Keep in mind, last year was so ridiculously well organised that it was always going to be a tough act to follow. Give them a chance!
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
I can't find anything ridiculous in organising a conference well; on the contrary, I think we all should try to reach the standards set by the Haifa team.
I am absolutely /not/ surprised by the impatience shown on this list; the later people know about their accommodation options, the more it's going to cost them -- and we are talking about the Real Life Money(TM) here.
- -- Tomasz Kozłowski a.k.a. [[user:odder]]
2012/4/22 Tomasz Kozłowski odder.wiki@gmail.com:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
I can't find anything ridiculous in organising a conference well; on the contrary, I think we all should try to reach the standards set by the Haifa team.
Oh, of course. Every year should try and be better than the year before, but that doesn't mean they've failed if there is something that ends up not being quite a good.
I am absolutely /not/ surprised by the impatience shown on this list; the later people know about their accommodation options, the more it's going to cost them -- and we are talking about the Real Life Money(TM) here.
I don't think that's true. You can book now if you want to. You only have to wait if you want to take advantage of the discounts that organisers are able to negotiate, and those discounts aren't going to be any less because they took longer to arrange.
2012/4/22 Tomasz Kozłowski odder.wiki@gmail.com:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
I can't find anything ridiculous in organising a conference well; on the contrary, I think we all should try to reach the standards set by the Haifa team.
I am absolutely /not/ surprised by the impatience shown on this list; the later people know about their accommodation options, the more it's going to cost them -- and we are talking about the Real Life Money(TM) here.
Not necessarily. We pursued fixed rates and we have been working on this for months now. All the negotiating work is done and has been done. The issue is logistical—we have to wait for these hotels to set up the registration codes.
Tomasz Kozłowski a.k.a. [[user:odder]]
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It does seem like we're being mute about things, and I do regret that. But as a personal rule I don't like announcing things before they're done. You have a right to complete information and that is what you will get—once it is available.
Here is a sneak peak. We have the "official hotel" which will run $189/night. It is a brief walk from the venue (or you could take a $6 taxi if you insist). It gets you some of the best free hotel wireless in DC as well as continental breakfast. We will also be making a deal with a $149/night hotel that is VERY close to the venue, but you have to purchase breakfast. We also got a couple of hotels thrown in at $149/night with free breakfast and wireless, but they are farther from the venue (but we can easily arrange for group transportation). These prices are before DC's ludicrous hotel tax. I'd also like to make some beds in the hostel available for general consumption, but between all the people receiving scholarships, I am not sure that can happen.
If I had my druthers, we'd have cheaper hotel rates. However, the $189/night hotel is already at a steep discount (it normally sells for $240 in the summer) and the $149 rate is the best you will get in Washington, DC during the summer. It is worth noting that as a conference we are prioritizing hotels that are close to the venue (except for the two which are farther away, but those were too good an offer to pass up—they're NICE hotels). You are all free men and women and are welcome to book somewhere cheaply if you can find somewhere cheap, since we figured that those looking to save money are going to go to Priceline no matter what.
I shouldn't be saying this, but you may be able to get a good rate on hotels if you book in Arlington; specifically, near the Rosslyn, Court House, or Clarendon metro stations. Those are all on the same line as the venue (located by the Foggy Bottom–GWU station), but are urbanized enough areas that you don't need a car. Additionally, since they are outside the city and in Virginia, the hotel tax is significantly cheaper. If you're of limited means, consider booking in Arlington. If you can afford the extra cost and would like to stay close to the venue, adjacent to our special events and to great neighborhoods in general, and in close proximity to other Wikipedians, please consider the hotels we'll be promoting on our website soon.
I can't wait to see you all at Wikimania!
Regards, James Hare
On 22 April 2012 15:39, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
These prices are before DC's ludicrous hotel tax.
Please quote all prices inclusive of all taxes. This American habit of quoting prices net of tax if just silly. What I care about is how much money I'm going to have to hand over. I couldn't care less how much of that goes to the hotel and how much to the government.
I have no idea what the tax rate is for hotels in DC, so I have no idea what those numbers you've quoted actually mean.
You are all free men and women and are welcome to book somewhere cheaply if you can find somewhere cheap, since we figured that those looking to save money are going to go to Priceline no matter what.
I think that is a very bad assumption. My understanding is that the vast majority of attendees stay in the recommended accommodation that is in their price range. The fact that you are staying somewhere full of Wikimedians is part of the fun. If you book your own accommodation from a price comparison website, you'll probably end up on your own.
If the cheapest accommodation you are recommending for people not on a scholarship is $149/night plus whatever the taxes are, then I think we may have a problem...
On Apr 22, 2012, at 5:14 PM, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
On 22 April 2012 15:39, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
These prices are before DC's ludicrous hotel tax.
Please quote all prices inclusive of all taxes. This American habit of quoting prices net of tax if just silly. What I care about is how much money I'm going to have to hand over. I couldn't care less how much of that goes to the hotel and how much to the government.
I have no idea what the tax rate is for hotels in DC, so I have no idea what those numbers you've quoted actually mean.
You are all free men and women and are welcome to book somewhere cheaply if you can find somewhere cheap, since we figured that those looking to save money are going to go to Priceline no matter what.
I think that is a very bad assumption. My understanding is that the vast majority of attendees stay in the recommended accommodation that is in their price range. The fact that you are staying somewhere full of Wikimedians is part of the fun. If you book your own accommodation from a price comparison website, you'll probably end up on your own.
If the cheapest accommodation you are recommending for people not on a scholarship is $149/night plus whatever the taxes are, then I think we may have a problem...
I assume many people will want to share a room with another person, which cuts the cost per person in half
Would a wiki page be helpful where people can indicate if they are seeking to share a hotel room?
Katie
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
On 22 April 2012 16:24, aude aude.wiki@gmail.com wrote:
I assume many people will want to share a room with another person, which cuts the cost per person in half
Does it? Most hotels I know charge more if there are two people staying in a room.
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 11:28 AM, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
On 22 April 2012 16:24, aude aude.wiki@gmail.com wrote:
I assume many people will want to share a room with another person, which cuts the cost per person in half
Does it? Most hotels I know charge more if there are two people staying in a room.
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
Regards, James Hare
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices that were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
Best,
Delphine
On Apr 22, 2012, at 8:11 PM, Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com wrote:
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices that were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
You will get your choice of two beds or one large bed. Easily done. :)
James
Best,
Delphine
@notafish
NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org Photos with simple eyes: notaphoto - http://photo.notafish.org
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2012/4/22 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices that were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
Best,
Delphine
I'm not sure about this... While I haven't done a survey or discovered any references on point, I've stayed in a number of hotels in Washington and throughout the U.S. and almost always encounter two beds in a room as a single occupant. Since I'm commenting anyway, I will say that $149 is a very good rate for hotels in Washington D.C.
And while Thomas Dalton denigrates it as "a silly American habit" to quote prices before taxes, that may be because we have so many different tax domains with different rates. It helps to know the pre-tax amounts (similar to how airline seats are often quoted) for comparison purposes, as the tax component will give you no sense of the accommodations or amenities expected etc. I suppose that may not be commonly understood by travelers from small nations with primarily national tax policies.
~Nathan
On Apr 22, 2012, at 8:35 PM, Nathan nawrich@gmail.com wrote:
2012/4/22 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices that were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
Best,
Delphine
I'm not sure about this... While I haven't done a survey or discovered any references on point, I've stayed in a number of hotels in Washington and throughout the U.S. and almost always encounter two beds in a room as a single occupant. Since I'm commenting anyway, I will say that $149 is a very good rate for hotels in Washington D.C.
And while Thomas Dalton denigrates it as "a silly American habit" to quote prices before taxes, that may be because we have so many different tax domains with different rates. It helps to know the pre-tax amounts (similar to how airline seats are often quoted) for comparison purposes, as the tax component will give you no sense of the accommodations or amenities expected etc. I suppose that may not be commonly understood by travelers from small nations with primarily national tax policies.
I totally get your argument, but I also quoted the prices net of tax because it's what I do as a silly American. :p
But yes. While full disclosure of prices is important, tax is common to all of these and it makes the true market value seem higher than in reality.
So between my initial email and the follow-up explaining the 14.5% tax, we have now seen both sets of numbers.
James
~Nathan _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:35 AM, Nathan nawrich@gmail.com wrote:
2012/4/22 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices that were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
Best,
Delphine
I'm not sure about this... While I haven't done a survey or discovered any references on point, I've stayed in a number of hotels in Washington and throughout the U.S. and almost always encounter two beds in a room as a single occupant. Since I'm commenting anyway, I will say that $149 is a very good rate for hotels in Washington D.C.
Point taken on the beds. It must be a silly European habit ;). I am not arguing with the fact that $150 is cheap or expensive for Washington. My point was rather to say that $150/night is not something that many wikip/medians can afford.
And while Thomas Dalton denigrates it as "a silly American habit" to quote prices before taxes, that may be because we have so many different tax domains with different rates. It helps to know the pre-tax amounts (similar to how airline seats are often quoted) for comparison purposes, as the tax component will give you no sense of the accommodations or amenities expected etc. I suppose that may not be commonly understood by travelers from small nations with primarily national tax policies.
Heh, I like the "small nations" part a lot ;). You're right though, at least in Europe, you know the tax, but it's included in the display price. Shopping in the US can quickly become a problem if you max out your available dollar by just adding up numbers without "thinking" the tax.
Delphine
Primarily "sensible" tax policies :) It is a very annoying practice though. And pointless because rarely is there any indication of what the actual tax is until youve bought something. So you neither know how much your going to pay or have any idea to what to expect from the state.
Seddon
2012/4/23 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:35 AM, Nathan nawrich@gmail.com wrote:
2012/4/22 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices that were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
Best,
Delphine
I'm not sure about this... While I haven't done a survey or discovered
any
references on point, I've stayed in a number of hotels in Washington and throughout the U.S. and almost always encounter two beds in a room as a single occupant. Since I'm commenting anyway, I will say that $149 is a
very
good rate for hotels in Washington D.C.
Point taken on the beds. It must be a silly European habit ;). I am not arguing with the fact that $150 is cheap or expensive for Washington. My point was rather to say that $150/night is not something that many wikip/medians can afford.
And while Thomas Dalton denigrates it as "a silly American habit" to
quote
prices before taxes, that may be because we have so many different tax domains with different rates. It helps to know the pre-tax amounts
(similar
to how airline seats are often quoted) for comparison purposes, as the
tax
component will give you no sense of the accommodations or amenities
expected
etc. I suppose that may not be commonly understood by travelers from
small
nations with primarily national tax policies.
Heh, I like the "small nations" part a lot ;). You're right though, at least in Europe, you know the tax, but it's included in the display price. Shopping in the US can quickly become a problem if you max out your available dollar by just adding up numbers without "thinking" the tax.
Delphine
@notafish
NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org Photos with simple eyes: notaphoto - http://photo.notafish.org
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I and every American will concede the U.S. tax code does not make sense. (Technically this is the D.C. tax code we're dealing with, but just another part of the problem.) But now that we have that settled, let me know if you want me to clarify a price.
Regards, James Hare
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 9:29 PM, Joseph Seddon josephseddon@gmail.com wrote:
Primarily "sensible" tax policies :) It is a very annoying practice though. And pointless because rarely is there any indication of what the actual tax is until youve bought something. So you neither know how much your going to pay or have any idea to what to expect from the state.
Seddon
2012/4/23 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:35 AM, Nathan nawrich@gmail.com wrote:
2012/4/22 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices that were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
Best,
Delphine
I'm not sure about this... While I haven't done a survey or discovered any references on point, I've stayed in a number of hotels in Washington and throughout the U.S. and almost always encounter two beds in a room as a single occupant. Since I'm commenting anyway, I will say that $149 is a very good rate for hotels in Washington D.C.
Point taken on the beds. It must be a silly European habit ;). I am not arguing with the fact that $150 is cheap or expensive for Washington. My point was rather to say that $150/night is not something that many wikip/medians can afford.
And while Thomas Dalton denigrates it as "a silly American habit" to quote prices before taxes, that may be because we have so many different tax domains with different rates. It helps to know the pre-tax amounts (similar to how airline seats are often quoted) for comparison purposes, as the tax component will give you no sense of the accommodations or amenities expected etc. I suppose that may not be commonly understood by travelers from small nations with primarily national tax policies.
Heh, I like the "small nations" part a lot ;). You're right though, at least in Europe, you know the tax, but it's included in the display price. Shopping in the US can quickly become a problem if you max out your available dollar by just adding up numbers without "thinking" the tax.
Delphine
@notafish
NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org Photos with simple eyes: notaphoto - http://photo.notafish.org
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
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At least there will be plenty of dorms available if I'm reading the bidhttp://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2012/Bids/Washington,_D.C.#Accommodations, for 24$ a bed with double occupancy. These were at least confirmed already *in the bid* so I guess we can have those up soon, a year later :) Because yeah, this amount per night is what I would ideally spend on a whole Wikimania for staying etc.
Best, Lodewijk
El 23 de abril de 2012 03:51, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com escribió:
I and every American will concede the U.S. tax code does not make sense. (Technically this is the D.C. tax code we're dealing with, but just another part of the problem.) But now that we have that settled, let me know if you want me to clarify a price.
Regards, James Hare
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 9:29 PM, Joseph Seddon josephseddon@gmail.com wrote:
Primarily "sensible" tax policies :) It is a very annoying practice
though.
And pointless because rarely is there any indication of what the actual
tax
is until youve bought something. So you neither know how much your going
to
pay or have any idea to what to expect from the state.
Seddon
2012/4/23 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:35 AM, Nathan nawrich@gmail.com wrote:
2012/4/22 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices
that
were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
Best,
Delphine
I'm not sure about this... While I haven't done a survey or discovered any references on point, I've stayed in a number of hotels in Washington
and
throughout the U.S. and almost always encounter two beds in a room as
a
single occupant. Since I'm commenting anyway, I will say that $149 is
a
very good rate for hotels in Washington D.C.
Point taken on the beds. It must be a silly European habit ;). I am not arguing with the fact that $150 is cheap or expensive for Washington. My point was rather to say that $150/night is not something that many wikip/medians can afford.
And while Thomas Dalton denigrates it as "a silly American habit" to quote prices before taxes, that may be because we have so many different tax domains with different rates. It helps to know the pre-tax amounts (similar to how airline seats are often quoted) for comparison purposes, as the tax component will give you no sense of the accommodations or amenities expected etc. I suppose that may not be commonly understood by travelers from small nations with primarily national tax policies.
Heh, I like the "small nations" part a lot ;). You're right though, at least in Europe, you know the tax, but it's included in the display price. Shopping in the US can quickly become a problem if you max out your available dollar by just adding up numbers without "thinking" the tax.
Delphine
@notafish
NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will
get
lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org Photos with simple eyes: notaphoto - http://photo.notafish.org
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It seems it might be worth getting someone new to help manage *nothing but* the public communication about lodging -- from confirming details to updating wiki pages to answering questions on mailnig lists -- including dorm and hostel options and the variety of hotel options. That may help avoid extra confusion.
S.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 3:39 AM, Lodewijk lodewijk@effeietsanders.org wrote:
At least there will be plenty of dorms available if I'm reading the bid, for 24$ a bed with double occupancy. These were at least confirmed already *in the bid* so I guess we can have those up soon, a year later :) Because yeah, this amount per night is what I would ideally spend on a whole Wikimania for staying etc.
Best, Lodewijk
El 23 de abril de 2012 03:51, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com escribió:
I and every American will concede the U.S. tax code does not make sense. (Technically this is the D.C. tax code we're dealing with, but just another part of the problem.) But now that we have that settled, let me know if you want me to clarify a price.
Regards, James Hare
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 9:29 PM, Joseph Seddon josephseddon@gmail.com wrote:
Primarily "sensible" tax policies :) It is a very annoying practice though. And pointless because rarely is there any indication of what the actual tax is until youve bought something. So you neither know how much your going to pay or have any idea to what to expect from the state.
Seddon
2012/4/23 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:35 AM, Nathan nawrich@gmail.com wrote:
2012/4/22 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
> The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual occupancy.
This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual occupancy means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are surprisingly few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or their contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices that were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms in those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a single room.
Best,
Delphine
I'm not sure about this... While I haven't done a survey or discovered any references on point, I've stayed in a number of hotels in Washington and throughout the U.S. and almost always encounter two beds in a room as a single occupant. Since I'm commenting anyway, I will say that $149 is a very good rate for hotels in Washington D.C.
Point taken on the beds. It must be a silly European habit ;). I am not arguing with the fact that $150 is cheap or expensive for Washington. My point was rather to say that $150/night is not something that many wikip/medians can afford.
And while Thomas Dalton denigrates it as "a silly American habit" to quote prices before taxes, that may be because we have so many different tax domains with different rates. It helps to know the pre-tax amounts (similar to how airline seats are often quoted) for comparison purposes, as the tax component will give you no sense of the accommodations or amenities expected etc. I suppose that may not be commonly understood by travelers from small nations with primarily national tax policies.
Heh, I like the "small nations" part a lot ;). You're right though, at least in Europe, you know the tax, but it's included in the display price. Shopping in the US can quickly become a problem if you max out your available dollar by just adding up numbers without "thinking" the tax.
Delphine
@notafish
NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org Photos with simple eyes: notaphoto - http://photo.notafish.org
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I don't really familiar with the tax rules in D.C, but foreign tourist are also need to pay hotel tax? I know that in Israel the foreign participated on Wikimania didn't have to pay vat for their stay, only the local.
Itzik
On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 7:43 AM, Samuel Klein meta.sj@gmail.com wrote:
It seems it might be worth getting someone new to help manage *nothing but* the public communication about lodging -- from confirming details to updating wiki pages to answering questions on mailnig lists -- including dorm and hostel options and the variety of hotel options. That may help avoid extra confusion.
S.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 3:39 AM, Lodewijk lodewijk@effeietsanders.org wrote:
At least there will be plenty of dorms available if I'm reading the bid,
for
24$ a bed with double occupancy. These were at least confirmed already
*in
the bid* so I guess we can have those up soon, a year later :) Because
yeah,
this amount per night is what I would ideally spend on a whole Wikimania
for
staying etc.
Best, Lodewijk
El 23 de abril de 2012 03:51, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com
escribió:
I and every American will concede the U.S. tax code does not make sense. (Technically this is the D.C. tax code we're dealing with, but just another part of the problem.) But now that we have that settled, let me know if you want me to clarify a price.
Regards, James Hare
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 9:29 PM, Joseph Seddon josephseddon@gmail.com wrote:
Primarily "sensible" tax policies :) It is a very annoying practice though. And pointless because rarely is there any indication of what the
actual
tax is until youve bought something. So you neither know how much your
going
to pay or have any idea to what to expect from the state.
Seddon
2012/4/23 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:35 AM, Nathan nawrich@gmail.com wrote:
2012/4/22 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com > > On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:32 PM, James Hare <
messedrocker@gmail.com>
> wrote: > > > The deals we're arranging have no extra charge for dual
occupancy.
> > This might sound extremely stupid, but make sure that dual
occupancy
> means 2 beds in a room, not a Queen Size Bed. There are
surprisingly
> few hotels that actually offer two separate beds in a room or
their
> contingent of such rooms is actually quite limited. At the prices > that > were mentionned, you really want to book all the double bed rooms
in
> those hotels, because very few people will be able to afford a > single > room. > > Best, > > Delphine > --
I'm not sure about this... While I haven't done a survey or discovered any references on point, I've stayed in a number of hotels in
Washington
and throughout the U.S. and almost always encounter two beds in a room
as
a single occupant. Since I'm commenting anyway, I will say that $149
is
a very good rate for hotels in Washington D.C.
Point taken on the beds. It must be a silly European habit ;). I am not arguing with the fact that $150 is cheap or expensive for Washington. My point was rather to say that $150/night is not something that many wikip/medians can afford.
And while Thomas Dalton denigrates it as "a silly American habit"
to
quote prices before taxes, that may be because we have so many different tax domains with different rates. It helps to know the pre-tax amounts (similar to how airline seats are often quoted) for comparison purposes, as the tax component will give you no sense of the accommodations or amenities expected etc. I suppose that may not be commonly understood by travelers
from
small nations with primarily national tax policies.
Heh, I like the "small nations" part a lot ;). You're right though,
at
least in Europe, you know the tax, but it's included in the display price. Shopping in the US can quickly become a problem if you max out your available dollar by just adding up numbers without "thinking"
the
tax.
Delphine
@notafish
NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails
will
get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org Photos with simple eyes: notaphoto - http://photo.notafish.org
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-- Samuel Klein identi.ca:sj w:user:sj +1 617 529 4266
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On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 11:14 AM, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
On 22 April 2012 15:39, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
These prices are before DC's ludicrous hotel tax.
Please quote all prices inclusive of all taxes. This American habit of quoting prices net of tax if just silly. What I care about is how much money I'm going to have to hand over. I couldn't care less how much of that goes to the hotel and how much to the government.
I have no idea what the tax rate is for hotels in DC, so I have no idea what those numbers you've quoted actually mean.
14.5% on top. $189 becomes $216.41 and $149 becomes $170.61.
You are all free men and women and are welcome to book somewhere cheaply if you can find somewhere cheap, since we figured that those looking to save money are going to go to Priceline no matter what.
I think that is a very bad assumption. My understanding is that the vast majority of attendees stay in the recommended accommodation that is in their price range. The fact that you are staying somewhere full of Wikimedians is part of the fun. If you book your own accommodation from a price comparison website, you'll probably end up on your own.
If the cheapest accommodation you are recommending for people not on a scholarship is $149/night plus whatever the taxes are, then I think we may have a problem...
We are looking into expanding our hostel options, including reserving additional beds and encouraging those currently staying at the hostel to upgrade. I am not at all surprised by your discontent, but DC is an expensive city.
James
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Hi James,
I would like to strongly suggest to communicate this to all people that registered. If 150 USD is going to be the cheapest you can provide (and for most people it is just way out of their range) it is only fair to tell them that now - because every day they will wait for you to come up with those great cheap hotel rates that were promised (but as we understand now, that is only for DC standards) the cheaper hotels get more expensive. There's probably not much more you can do at this point on cheap hotels, but letting them know well in time is only fair. Not everyone is on this mailing list (by far).
Lodewijk
El 22 de abril de 2012 16:39, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com escribió:
It does seem like we're being mute about things, and I do regret that. But as a personal rule I don't like announcing things before they're done. You have a right to complete information and that is what you will get—once it is available.
Here is a sneak peak. We have the "official hotel" which will run $189/night. It is a brief walk from the venue (or you could take a $6 taxi if you insist). It gets you some of the best free hotel wireless in DC as well as continental breakfast. We will also be making a deal with a $149/night hotel that is VERY close to the venue, but you have to purchase breakfast. We also got a couple of hotels thrown in at $149/night with free breakfast and wireless, but they are farther from the venue (but we can easily arrange for group transportation). These prices are before DC's ludicrous hotel tax. I'd also like to make some beds in the hostel available for general consumption, but between all the people receiving scholarships, I am not sure that can happen.
If I had my druthers, we'd have cheaper hotel rates. However, the $189/night hotel is already at a steep discount (it normally sells for $240 in the summer) and the $149 rate is the best you will get in Washington, DC during the summer. It is worth noting that as a conference we are prioritizing hotels that are close to the venue (except for the two which are farther away, but those were too good an offer to pass up—they're NICE hotels). You are all free men and women and are welcome to book somewhere cheaply if you can find somewhere cheap, since we figured that those looking to save money are going to go to Priceline no matter what.
I shouldn't be saying this, but you may be able to get a good rate on hotels if you book in Arlington; specifically, near the Rosslyn, Court House, or Clarendon metro stations. Those are all on the same line as the venue (located by the Foggy Bottom–GWU station), but are urbanized enough areas that you don't need a car. Additionally, since they are outside the city and in Virginia, the hotel tax is significantly cheaper. If you're of limited means, consider booking in Arlington. If you can afford the extra cost and would like to stay close to the venue, adjacent to our special events and to great neighborhoods in general, and in close proximity to other Wikipedians, please consider the hotels we'll be promoting on our website soon.
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 15:09, Maarten Dammers maarten@mdammers.nl wrote:
Op 19-4-2012 18:32, Samat schreef:
You are so impatient, Orsi :) Sage said:* very* close.
This is not impatience. Organization is just very late. Last year the scholarships were announced end of March, four months in advance of Wikimania 2011. Now it's only 81 days left for Wikimania 2012. It's a bit like the hotels, "almost done" since the beginning of April.
Maarten
Hi Maarten,
I know and agree. My comment was a little bit with irony. Orsi knows me, and I hope she understood that :)
Samat
Bad one, I was not selected this year.
Good luck to you all!
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 10:09 AM, Maarten Dammers maarten@mdammers.nlwrote:
Op 19-4-2012 18:32, Samat schreef:
You are so impatient, Orsi :) Sage said:* very* close.
This is not impatience. Organization is just very late. Last year the scholarships were announced end of March, four months in advance of Wikimania 2011. Now it's only 81 days left for Wikimania 2012. It's a bit like the hotels, "almost done" since the beginning of April.
Maarten
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Yes, but what if you don't get a scholarship? On Apr 18, 2012 3:48 PM, "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
Scholar registration is $35 regardless of date.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 18, 2012, at 8:31 AM, Jeromy-Yu Maximilian Chan <
jerry.tschan.yu@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi all
A number of fellow Wikipedians had noticed that The early bird rate for this year's Wikimania Registration will not available soon on 23 Apr
However there is not yet any sign of announcement of the scholarship
So I wonder if the DC team would suggest definate-will-go applicants register first Then sort of reimbursing later if required?
lOOking forward to any reply from the DC OCs soon.
自吾之埃拍 Sent from my iPad
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I think what James means is that if you'll go regardless of whether you get a scholarship, please register now and you'll be reimbursed any price difference later.
If you won't go in the case you don't get any scholarship, then obviously you don't need to register now, and the price will not go up later for those who are getting scholarship.
Deryck
On 18 April 2012 23:19, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
Yes, but what if you don't get a scholarship?
On Apr 18, 2012 3:48 PM, "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
Scholar registration is $35 regardless of date.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 18, 2012, at 8:31 AM, Jeromy-Yu Maximilian Chan <
jerry.tschan.yu@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi all
A number of fellow Wikipedians had noticed that The early bird rate for this year's Wikimania Registration will not available soon on 23 Apr
However there is not yet any sign of announcement of the scholarship
So I wonder if the DC team would suggest definate-will-go applicants register first Then sort of reimbursing later if required?
lOOking forward to any reply from the DC OCs soon.
自吾之埃拍 Sent from my iPad
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